One Week
by Yusuke-Uchiha
Summary: Hotohori promises to have a boat ready for the other six Seishi in one week. That doesn't give Nuriko much time to tell Hotohori how he feels. HotoXNuri
1. Chapter 1

One Week

"I can have a ship ready for you in one week."

The words left Hotohori's mouth so easily but they smashed against Nuriko's ear drums like a sledge hammer. One week. Only one week left until they had to leave on their journey to search for the Shinzaho. Only one week left with Hotohori. Only one week left for Nuriko to reveal his feelings to Hotohori.

'Gods. Why must it be so soon?'

Nuriko looked around and noticed everyone had left. He'd been so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed everyone had returned to the palace.

'Geeze. They could have at least told me they were going back.'

His braided purple hair flew behind him as he raced to the palace. No matter how many times he saw it, the palace still left him in awe. The utter perfection of the building sent shivers down his spine. Or maybe it was just because Hotohori lived in it. Maybe that was what made his spine tingle. Sighing, he headed towards his quarters. He slid the door open and walked in. He'd barely slept for days and his bed seemed to call his name.

A yawn escaped from his lips and he stretched his arms over his head, 'Guess I'll take a nap.'

He stripped out of his robes, only leaving on his white pants. He pulled the blankets down and slipped underneath them. He tensed at the coolness of the sheets, but soon relaxed when his body heat began to warm the bed around him. He pulled the braid out of his hair and rested his head against the pillow. He was out in seconds.

* * *

"Emperor Hotohori. I know we've had this conversation numerous times and you're probably sick of hearing it, but it has to be said. Your highness is eighteen years old. It is time for you to choose an empress. An heir must be given for the throne."

Hotohori sighed, irritated by the constant nagging of his councilmen, "Yes, I am well aware of this. But I refuse to simply marry for an heir. I want to marry someone I truly care for. If I'm to be happy the rest of my life, I must find someone I love."

The councilman bowed his head, "Yes, highness. But, your highness is so...picky."

Hotohori chuckled, "I know. That is precisely the problem isn't it?"

"Highness, this is no laughing matter."

Hotohori ignored his councilman and continued to laugh to himself.

When Nuriko's eyes finally opened he squinted when he saw the moon shining through his window. He yawned loudly and sat up in the bed. The blankets fell down to his waist, revealing his bare chest. His mind was swimming constantly. He couldn't seem to relax no matter how hard he tried. After the murder of Tamahome's family, Nuriko realized just how easily everything could fall apart. One lapse in judgment, arriving a few minutes too late, a simple mistake. All of these things could lead to disaster and he couldn't shake the feeling of dread these thoughts brought upon him.

He stood from the bed and walked over to a small cabinet. He pulled it open and glimpsed all of his clothes. He had so few articles of clothing meant for a man. He hadn't been able to go shopping since his secret had been reveled. He pulled out one of the few male outfits he had and walked towards the door.

'I need to try to relax a little. Guess I'll go take a bath.'

The old men were still grumbling at him and it was driving Hotohori mad. He crossed his arms and sighed loud enough for all of the old men to hear him.

"Enough. I've heard enough lecturing for today. Please leave me be."

He stood from his throne and walked past the old men.

"Wait, Highness. Where are you going?"

Not even bothering to turn around Hotohori replied, "I'm going to go bathe. I don't want anyone disturbing me."

The old men bowed their heads and Hotohori left the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

The steam from the hot spring before him stung his eyes a bit, but he knew the hot water would feel great against his tensed up muscles. A white robe was wrapped around his nude body as Nuriko walked towards the water. Before he removed the robe, he knelt down and placed his hand in the water, feeling the temperature.

'Perfect.'

He stood back up and peeled the robe away from his body. He laid it on a nearby rock and stepped into the water. Much to his dismay, the water did not relieve the tension in his muscles.

'Gods, but it feels good though.'

He let himself submerge completely, drenching his purple locks in the hot water. After holding his breath for a few seconds, he re-surfaced up to his abdomen. He turned around and pressed his chest against the side, letting his arms rest out of the water. He leaned his head into his arms and tried to free his mind from all of the torment.

"Nuriko?"

A chill went down Nuriko's spine at the voice calling him. The smooth, caring voice that could only belong to his emperor.

"H-Hotohori-sama. F-Forgive me. I didn't realize you were here."

Hotohori grinned, "It's okay, Nuriko."

"I'll go."

Nuriko attempted to climb out of the spring until he felt a firm hand on his shoulder holding him in place.

"There's no need, Nuriko."

"But Hotohori-sama-"

"Just Hotohori, please. You don't have to give me that title anymore. We've been friends for a long time. Besides, the hot springs are for everyone's use, not just mine."

Though Hotohori had convinced him to stay, he still didn't want to face him. He'd never seen the emperor with no clothes on. He was afraid of what Hotohori's dripping wet chest and glistening face would do to him.

'Hmph. Who am I kidding? I know what it would do.'

"How have you been, Nuriko? We haven't been able to talk as of late. You and the other warriors have been away from the palace for so long it's been quite lonely here."

Nuriko felt a twinge of sympathy for his emperor. No one had ever considered how lonely Hotohori would be without them, not even Nuriko. Nuriko wanted to look Hotohori in the eyes and tell him that he thought about him all the time, but he remembered that they were both still nude. He leaned his face back into his arms.

"I don't know, Hotohori-sa...uh...Hotohori. Ever since I saw what happened to Tamahome's family I've been uneasy. I can't seem to shake this feeling of dread that's creeped into my mind. Every time I think about it, its like...I don't know."

"What is it Nuriko?"

Nuriko sucked his lower lip into his mouth and muttered, "It's like no matter what we do, the people we love are the ones who pay the price."

Hotohori's eyes traveled from the back of Nuriko's head to the tensed up muscles on Nuriko's shoulders and back. He could tell by the look of his muscles that Nuriko was very uncomfortable. Now what was discomforting him, Hotohori couldn't say.

'I certainly hope it's not me that's bringing this discomfort to him.'

The water glistening off of Nuriko's bare skin only helped to emphasize the tensity throughout his body.

"I'm sorry Hotohori. You don't need to hear about my prob-"

Nuriko let out a small gasp when he felt both of Hotohori's hands on his shoulders. He was applying light pressure with his finger tips and palms.

"H-Hotohori? What are you...doing?"

Hotohori rolled his eyes playfully, "Generally it's called a massage, Nuriko. You're wound up like a tight knot, and I thought you needed to relax is all. Would you like me to stop?"

He wanted to shout 'yes' loud enough for the whole kingdom to hear him, but he also loved the feel of Hotohori's hands against his skin. So he shook his head and tried his best to relax his shoulders. Hotohori grinned and continued to push his fingers into Nuriko's now softening shoulders.

With every movement of Hotohori's hands over his shoulders, Nuriko could feel his stress slowly fading. Perhaps it was the environment they were in, combined with his love for Hotohori that made this moment so relaxing. He didn't know, but whatever the case he didn't want Hotohori to stop what he was doing. That is, until Hotohori's hands began to travel down his back. As soon as Hotohori's hands moved over the small of his back, Nuriko flinched and tightened up again.

Hotohori shook his head silently, "There's no need for such nervousness, Nuriko. It's simply a massage, nothing more. You're reacting as if I'm stabbing you."

Nuriko didn't want to tell him the real reason he was tensing up. If he did, he would have to tell him about the intense pleasure rising from inside of him.

So he mumbled, "I'm sorry, Hotohori. I've just never been given...an massage before."

It was a lie. His brother had given him massages as a child. But he'd only ever been given one when he'd pulled a muscle or twisted an ankle. Now he wasn't lying entirely. He'd never been given a massage of this type before.

Hotohori gently presses his thumbs into the small of Nuriko's back, taking care not to hurt him. A small sigh of delight escaped Nuriko's lips and his eyes fell closed as Hotohori began to move his thumbs in a circular motion. Under his hands, Hotohoti could feel Nuriko's muscles begin to relax again. This heightened his confidence, and he decided to try something else. He moved his hands from the small of Nuriko's back to his hips. Nuriko's eyes flew open, but he didn't make a sound. The pleasure he'd been feeling earlier began to make itself physically known. As much as he tried to fight it, Nuriko couldn't help feeling utter bliss from Hotohori's hands being so close to his hardening pleasure.

Thankful his back was turned to Hotohori, Nuriko simply allowed himself to become lost in Hotohori's gentle stroking. Hotohori was delighted to find Nuriko completely relaxed. If Hotohori didn't know Nuriko was a man, there would be no way to tell from the back. The skin on his back felt like silk against his hands and his hair still shimmered from the water remaining trapped in the locks. Hotohori snapped himself out of his trance.

'I need to get him to turn around so I can get those thoughts out of my head.'

Much to Nuriko's dismay, he no longer felt the pleasurable sensation given from Hotohori's hands. When he looked back to see what was wrong, he didn't see Hotohori behind him.

He sighed, 'Well I guess that was too good to last.'

When he turned his face back, he was baffled to see Hotohori standing before him wearing nothing but a small towel around his waist. If his pleasure hadn't been fully aroused before, it was now. Seeing so much of Hotohori's glowing skin was enough to drive Nuriko mad.

"Turn onto your back, Nuriko."

Nuriko found himself unable to disobey his emperor and rolled onto his back. When his hardened pleasure sprang away from the side of the spring, his mind set instantly back to reality. Looking down frantically, he was relieved to see that the water was steamy enough to keep his swollen pleasure from Hotohori's sight. Seeing no threat of it being revealed, he leaned back against the side of the spring. Nuriko's heart fluttered when he felt Hotohori's gentle hands touch his pectorals.

Hotohori's hands began to move in slow triangles over Nuriko's dainty but still built chest. Nuriko let his head lean back and his eyes fall closed. His ears welcomed the soothing sound of Hotohori's breaths. He didn't notice when Hotohori's hands moved a little further south onto his ribs. His body felt as if it were burning under Hotohori's palms. Every part of his body that Hotohori had touched tingled with a sensation that Nuriko wished he could feel every day.

His eyes snapped open again when he felt Hotohori's hands move down to his stomach, too close to his pleasure for comfort. Unable to risk being humiliated in such a way, Nuriko reached down into the water and took hold of Hotohori's wrists. He pulled the emperor's hands away from the line of fire. When they were far enough away for Nuriko to be unafraid, he released his hold of Hotohori's wrists.

"Thank you, Hotohori. Truly, I needed that."

Hotohori grinned, "Glad I could help."

Now that Hotohori's hands were not on his body, Nuriko noticed his pleasure begin to shrink again. After a few moments, he was comfortable enough to remove himself from the spring without risk of Hotohori seeing his arousal. He pulled himself over the side of the spring and let his feet touch the warm ground. He reached for the robe he'd laid to the side and covered his nude body with it.

"Goodnight, Nuriko."

Nuriko turned back towards the spring and the sight made his skin begin to tingle again. Hotohori was submerged up to his waist in the water and his drenched hair clung to his chest. Afraid he would stare, Nuriko turned his back again.

"Goodnight, Hotohori."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Day 1

His cheeks felt as if they had burst into flames. He tossed and turned between the sweat-stained sheets and blankets. His violet hair gripped tightly to his forehead and pillow. His stomach turned with every movement of his body.

'Yep. I'm sick.'

His dinner from the previous night still had not digested and he could feel the food bubbling up in his abdomen. Rather than soil his bed with the fluids about to come out of his throat, he managed to stumble out of the bed and towards the door. He pushed it open and wobbled towards the railing in front of him. He leaned his head over the side and emptied his stomach onto the flower bed.

"Nuriko?"

Once again, his name was being called by the soft voice of his emperor. He turned his head towards Hotohori, but quickly turned it back when he felt another wave of sickness coming over him. He leaned his head back over the railing, but before his stomach emptied again, he felt something touch his hair. He almost jumped when he noticed Hotohori was the one holding his hair.

'He's trying to hold my hair back from my face.'

The sickness would not be held back and Nuriko emptied the remaining contents onto the already demolished flower bed. A few retching coughs escaped from Nuriko's mouth before he straightened himself back up. His stomach hurt less, but the rest of him still felt like he'd been trampled by a stampede of horses.

"Th-Thank you Hotohori. I think I'm going to go...back to bed."

Before Nuriko could even take one step, he felt his head spin. He wobbled a bit before everything around him went black.

"Nuriko!" Hotohori exclaimed, catching his friend before he hit the ground.

He gasped at the dampness of Nuriko's clothes.

'He's sweating to death.'

He cradled the weakened Nuriko in his arms and carried him back to his bed. Much to Hotohori's dismay, the bed was covered in sweat as well. Not wishing to shout for the servants and wake Nuriko, Hotohori placed Nuriko in a large red chair in the corner of the room. He then moved back over to the bed and peeled the soaked bed sheets, pillows, and blankets away. He tossed them into the corner and caught a glimpse of Nuriko's small clothes cabinet. He tore the door open and found what he'd been looking for. There were fresh bed items and clean clothes inside the cabinet.

He quickly replaced the dampened bed items with the new ones he'd found in the cabinet. Looking back at Nuriko, he saw the purple-haired boy trying to lift himself up from the chair.

"Nuriko!"

He rushed to Nuriko's side and held the sick boy in his arms.

"Nuriko, you must not strain yourself. If you do, you will only become sicker."

His words fell on deaf ears as he realized that Nuriko had fainted again. Hotohori lifted Nuriko back into his arms and carried him to the bed. Before he laid him down, he remembered the soaking wet clothes covering Nuriko's shivering body.

'I'd better get him into some fresh clothes before I put him in the bed.'

He laid Nuriko back on the chair and reached into the nearby clothes cabinet. He found white sleeping robes. He pulled them out of the cabinet and laid them to the side of the chair.

'Nuriko will probably die of embarrassment if he finds out I did this, but it has to be done. Sorry Nuriko.'

He carefully lifted Nuriko up in his arms and untied the sash around Nuriko's slender waist. The robes were soaked so deeply that they clung to Nuriko's skin like glue. He pulled the robes away from Nuriko's paled skin and tossed the soaking wet garments into the corner with the bed items. When Nuriko's body was revealed to him again, he couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy from the utter perfection of it. He had a perfect build, silky skin, and even a few feminine curves to go along with it.

'It's a bit strange. I never thought there could be another man who could compare to me in beauty, but he's pretty close.'

He stopped his envious gaping and took hold of the white robes next to him. He slid Nuriko's arms through the robes and covered his still shivering body. He tied the sash loosely and lifted the sleeping man back into his arms. He was finally able to lay Nuriko back onto the bed and cover him with the thick blankets. He took the opportunity to lay his palm against Nuriko's forehead and gasped at what he felt. Nuriko may as well have dipped his head in lava.

'Gods! He's literally burning. I need to find Mitsukake.'

When Nuriko regained consciousness, he didn't feel the same dampness in the pillows or turning of his stomach. His head still throbbed with every movement he made, but at least that was bearable. When he tried to push himself up on the bed he found his arms had no strength and he flopped back down.

'Curses! I still can't move.'

He was shocked by the sound of a soft, steady breathing to his right. When he turned to the direction of the sound he was once again greeted with the beautiful face of his emperor. He felt redness spread across his face and he stifled a gasp. Hotohori was sleeping next to his bed. He'd pulled a chair up and was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest. His hair hung down over his eyes as he slept.

"Hotohori."

Nuriko frowned when he saw Hotohori's eyes open. He hadn't meant to wake him. He'd looked so tranquil. A silent yawn escaped Hotohori's lips as he raised his head. His eyes fell instantly on Nuriko.

"Nuriko? Are you feeling any better?"

Nuriko nodded, "You didn't have to sit next to my bed Hotohori. You can't have been comfortable."

Hotohori hung his head, "I couldn't leave. You gave us all quite a scare, Nuriko. Mitsukake said that if I hadn't run into you in the hallway and informed him of your condition, your fever would have killed you."

Nuriko flinched and his eyes fell to the bed.

'I would have died? If Hotohori hadn't found me I might have died?'

Nuriko opened his mouth to reply to Hotohori when a sudden feeling of constriction stalled his words. His heart leapt when he felt Hotohori's arms wrapped tightly around him. His emperor was cradling him in his arms like a child.

"H-Hotohori?"

Hotohori released his grip on Nuriko and leaned back in the chair. He placed a hand over his forehead and sighed heavily.

"Forgive me Nuriko. I was just...really frightened. The thought of losing your companionship threw me for a loop. I didn't realize just how much I treasure your presence until I knew I'd almost lost it."

Nuriko grinned and let his eyes fall back onto the bed, "That's usually how it works. You don't realize how important something is until you lose it or come close to losing it. I know I never realized how much Kourin meant to me until she was gone. But I suppose it's human nature to take things for granted."

Hotohori chuckled, "Yes I suppose it is."

Nuriko's eyes didn't leave the bed when he muttered, "So I'm not going to take this for granted anymore."

Hotohori's gaze on Nuriko intensified, "Take what for granted, Nuriko?"

Though he wanted to look Hotohori in the eyes, he couldn't bring himself to do it, "I'm not going to take the time I have with you for granted anymore. I'm going to make the most of it, Hotohori."

A stunned expression painted Hotohori's face as he mumbled, "I don't understand, Nuriko. What are you saying?"

Finally able to turn his head to look at Hotohori, Nuriko replied, "I may not come back from this next journey we have. You know it and I know it."

"Don't talk like that, Nuriko. All of you are coming ba-"

"Please, Hotohori. Let me finish."

Hotohori flinched at the seriousness in Nuriko's voice and silenced himself.

Nuriko turned his gaze back to the bed, "In case I don't come back, Hotohori, I have to make sure you know something. It's something I should have just told you a long time ago, but I've been too scared as to what you will say. But I almost died today. That made me realize I could never forgive myself if I died without telling you what I've wanted to say. You have to understand that this is not easy for me, but I'm going to do it anyway.

"I lived in your palace for years as a woman and you never noticed me even once. I was with you everyday and you never gave me a second glance. But when Miaka came, your eyes never left her. I couldn't understand that because she didn't know you. I did. I do. I know you better than most people, Hotohori.

"I wanted you to notice me. To pay attention to me. But when the evil Miaka revealed that I am a man, all hopes of that went out the window. Everything you'd ever thought about me changed, but nothing changed for me. I still feel the same way about you as I always have. Hotoho-"

Nuriko's words were halted by salt invading his mouth. The bed in front of him was becoming soaked with the tears flowing down his face. Hotohori, noticing Nuriko's tears, shifted in his chair and leaned towards him.

"Nuriko? Are you okay?"

Nuriko shook his head, "This is just hard that's all. Revealing a secret kept for so long is difficult."

Hotohori's gentle hand touched Nuriko's shoulder, "It's okay, Nuriko. You can tell me."

Nuriko didn't dare to look Hotohori in the face when he muttered, "I love you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hotohori's hand sprung away from Nuriko's shoulder and he fell back against the chair, unable to fathom the words that had just left Nuriko's mouth.

_I love you._

Nuriko had just risked rejection, humiliation, and ridicule just to make sure his feelings were made clear. Hotohori found himself at a complete loss for words, but Nuriko's silence made him uneasy. As if the confession hadn't shocked him enough.

"Nuriko, I...don't know what to say."

Nuriko shook his head again, "You don't have to say anything, Hotohori. I know there is no way you could ever love a man. It doesn't make any difference. I just wanted you to know. I'm sorry if I caused you any discomfort, but I couldn't risk leaving without telling you."

Hotohori's head was swimming with uncertainty, so he stood from the chair and turned his back, "Nuriko. I have to have time to let all of this sink in. I will go to my quarters and think about everything you've said. I can't do that in here, not with you sitting two feet away."

Nuriko nodded, "I understand, but I don't want you to feel any kind of obligation to say anything to me. I told you that you don't have to. I thought of every outcome before I said what I said. I'm ready to accept whatever you decide to do, Hotohori."

Hotohori didn't reply. He simply walked to the door and slid it open. He glanced at Nuriko once more before leaving the room.

Nuriko watched him leave and sighed heavily, "Gods. What have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

Hotohori dashed to his quarters and forced open the door. He bolted to his bed and threw himself face-down onto it. He buried his face into one of the pillows. Confusion. That was all he felt. Nuriko, one of the Suzaku warriors, a friend, and a young man had just confessed to loving him.

'Young Man? Now that he's confessed to loving me I'm calling him a young man, not a boy?'

Hotohori had only ever seen Nuriko as an air-headed, friendly, and caring friend, never as anything more than that? How could he have thought of Nuriko as more than that? He is a man after all.

He shook his head fiercely against the pillow, overwhelmed by the effect Nuriko's words were having on him. He understood why Nuriko had confessed, but that didn't make it any easier to deal with.

'What am I going to do? I don't love him. Do I? I care about him but I'm not attracted to him in _that_ way. Right? Gods! I don't know what to do anymore.'

Feeling like a child, he buried himself under the blankets, cursing the sun shining through his window.

"Hotohori?"

The voice made the tension in his body lessen some. His priestess stood before him with a shocked look of worry on her face.

"Are you all right, Hotohori?"

Hotohori threw the blankets off of himself and sat up in the bed, facing Miaka.

"No. No I'm not."

Miaka moved next to Hotohori and sat down next to him, "Tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help."

Hotohori held his head in his hands, "I don't know about this one, Miaka. This one is tough."

Miaka grinned and wrapped her arms around Hotohori's neck. She put her mouth next to his ear and whispered, "It's okay, Hotohori. Go ahead and tell me anyway. Even if I can't help I'll still try."

Nuriko wanted desperately to go back to sleep. His head was pounding and the rest of his body ached from the still present sickness. But that wasn't what was keeping him awake. Hotohori knowing the truth after all these years was harder than Nuriko thought it would be. He tossed and turned before finally giving up. He laid on his back and waited for the reprocussions.

"Nuriko said all of those things to you?" Miaka replied.

Hotohori nodded, "And now I don't know what to do."

Miaka smiled brightly and stood from the bed, "Okay first you have to ask yourself one thing: Do you think you could ever love him? Or rather, could you ever love a person of the same sex as you? That's the real question. Do you think you could see past the fact that he is a man and love him anyway? Because if you can't, then there's no sense talking about this at all. You may as well go and break it to him now before he starts to get hopeful."

Hotohori crossed his arms and hung his head, "I don't know, Miaka. I know I do love Nuriko. He's a dear friend and companion."

Miaka put her hands on Hotohori's shoulders, " Listen, 's a difference between loving someone and being _in_ love with someone. Tasuki, Chichir, Nuriko, Mitsukake, Chiriko, and you Hotohori. I love all of you, but I'm in love with Tamahome. The love between us is different than that of a friendship. Do you think you could bring yourself to see Nuriko as something more than a friend?"

Hotohori's shoulders shrugged, "I've never even thought about being in love with a man before. How can I make a decision of this magnitude in such a short amount of time?"

Miaka walked towards the door and turned around, "I don't know about that question, Hotohori. But you'd better figure it out fast. You've only got six and a half more days."

With that, she left Hotohori to his thoughts.

He crossed his arms tighter over his chest and sighed heavily, "Gods. How can I make this decision? How can I determine if I can love him or not?"

The encounter from the previous night flashed into his mind. He remembered Nuriko's soft skin under his hands. He remembered the way the young man's hair had glistened against the lanterns around the spring. The image of Nuriko climbing out of the spring and the brief glimpse he'd been shown of Nuriko's member all sent chills through Hotohori's body. He had to admit that he'd been a bit aroused when Nuriko had moaned at his massage. But he hadn't considered it to be that big of a deal. Nuriko looks like a woman. So it is only natural that his moans would arouse a man. Right?

He stood from the bed and began to slowly walk towards the door, 'I have to stop being a coward. I need to face Nuriko and try to figure this out. Surely there must be a solution.'

He walked through the door and towards Nuriko's room. Every step felt like a mile to the emperor.

* * *

Just when he was about to finally shut his eyes, Nuriko was alerted by footsteps approaching his door. He sat up quickly in the bed and was blown away when he saw Hotohori slide open the door. He could feel the redness attack his face and he instantly turned away. Without a word, Hotohori moved back to the empty chair next to Nuriko's bed and sat down.

Nuriko refused to look at him, 'Gods. I wasn't expecting him to come back. I wasn't expecting him to ever want to speak to me again.'

Nuriko shifted uneasily in the bed before muttering, "You didn't have to come back Hotohori. I told you that I'm not expecting anything from you. If you want things to simply go back to the way they were before then I'm okay with that."

Hotohori shook his head, "That will be impossible. You can't expect me to just ignore the fact that you have these feelings for me. You know I'm not that kind of person, Nuriko."

Nuriko hung his head, "I know. I just don't want you to feel like you have some kind of obligation because you don't. You could tell me right now that you could never love me and I could live the rest of my life accepting that."

Hotohori stood from the chair and looked down at Nuriko, "But you see Nuriko that's the problem."

Nuriko stared back into Hotohori's eyes, "What is?"

Before Nuriko could take another breath, Hotohori had taken a seat on the bed next to him.

"I'm not certain if I could love you or not. That's why this is all so confusing. I'd never considered it an option before because I've never had any cause to be attracted to a man. Now I have a cause and I'm starting to believe that it may be possible."

Nuriko's heart nearly skipped a beat at his words, but Hotohori noticed the hope in the young man's eyes and quickly raised a finger to Nuriko's lips

"Please don't get your hopes up too high, Nuriko. I said it _may_ be possible, but I don't want you to get too excited and then it turn out to be impossible."

He removed his finger from Nuriko's lips and Nuriko replied, "Okay. But how will we find out if it is possible?"

Smiling, Hotohori stood from the bed, "That will have to be discussed after you are better. Mitsukake has been busy making some medicine that he says will relieve you of all or most of your symptoms by tomorrow. We'll finish this discussion then."

Just as Hotohori began to walk away, Nuriko took hold of his wrist, holding him in place like only Nuriko could.

"You're seriously going to just leave me hanging like this? You can't be thinking of being that cruel."

Hotohori chuckled, "Let go Nuriko. I promise you won't regret the wait if you'll just give yourself time to recover."

Reluctantly, Nuriko released Hotohori's wrist and watched his emperor walk out of the door. He didn't close the door behind him because Mitsukake had been waiting right outside. Nuriko's face turned four shades of red when Mitsukake walked into the room.

Mitsukake gently laughed and said, "No need to be embarrassed. I won't tell anyone. Hotohori forbid me to speak of it unless you two actually do wind up together."

Nuriko turned his face away, "Then you'll probably never speak of it."

Mitsukake frowned and sat down in the chair Hotohori had previously sat in. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small vial filled with blue liquid.

"Quit your bellyaching and drink this. It'll make you feel better so you won't have to wait as long to find out what's going to happen with you and the emperor."

Nuriko held out his hand and Mitsukake placed the vial in it. Nuriko curled his fingers around the small bottle and raised it to his mouth, pouring all of the liquid into his mouth. He almost wanted to gag when the liquid attacked his taste buds and left a horrid aftertaste in the back of his throat. It took every ounce of his willpower to swallow the disgusting medicine.

"Geeze Mitsukake, could you have made it taste any worse?"

Mitsukake rolled his eyes and stood from the chair, "Oh and as for you and Hotohori, I wouldn't worry too much. Either way you did what you wanted to do right?"

Nuriko grinned and nodded, "Yeah I suppose I did."

Mitsukake turned his back and walked to the door ordering, "Get some rest. The medicine will only work if stay in bed. The only movement you're allowed to make is to eat and relieve yourself, you hear?"

Nuriko leaned back into the pillows and muttered, "Yeah yeah."

'Yeah right. How in the name of the gods am I supposed to sleep? I can't believe Hotohori did that. How can I even think about sleep now?'

Nuriko's question was soon answered when he felt his head begin to spin. His eyes began to blur as he realized Mitsukake had put a sleeping draft in the medicine. He smiled and his eyes fell shut.

'Mitsukake, you old softy.'

* * *

Hotohori returned to his quarters and sat down on the bed. With the sleeping draft placed in the medicine, Nuriko would surely sleep until noon the next morning, giving Hotohori more time to think.

Once again, the encounter in the hot spring flashed before his eyes. Every time he would think of Nuriko, that moment would invade his thoughts. When he'd first decided to give Nuriko the massage it had simply been to help out a friend. He hadn't thought it could ever be more to him than that. But now that Nuriko had sprung his confession, Hotohori was thinking about Nuriko's glowing skin more and more.

He sighed heavily, "Nuriko. What have you done to me?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Day 2

Rays of light shot through Nuriko's window and splashed over the sleeping seishi's face. His eyes twitched at the sudden flash of light and he pulled the blankets over his head.

'Damn sun. I was sleeping.'

Just as Nuriko was about to close his eyes and drift back asleep, the memory of the previous night shook him back to reality. He threw the blankets off of himself and jumped out of the bed. He was aware of the horrid stench coming off of him.

'If I'm gonna face Hotohori today I have to at least look (and smell) decent. I probably look like I just fell out of a tree.'

He stripped quickly out of the white robe he'd been sporting and reached into his clothes cabinet. He took out a clean robe and covered himself before racing towards the hot springs to bathe. He made sure to check the area before he removed his robes. Though a repeat of a few nights ago wouldn't exactly have been unwelcome. The water was slightly cooler than the last time but he didn't complain.

He didn't want to spend too much time in the spring for fear of someone else needing to use it so he washed up quickly. Not giving himself time to drip-dry, he threw the robe around himself and raced back to his room. Now came the hard part: choosing what to wear. He opened the clothes cabinet yet again and stared at his selection of clothes. He almost wanted to wear one of his kimonos but he reconsidered, thinking that that would probably be a bad idea. So he looked through his small selection of mens clothes and pulled out blue robes with a purple sash and green trimmings. It wasn't anything elaborate, but it was his favorite outfit out of the bunch.

He slipped out of the robe and let it fall to the floor. He shivered when the open air crashed into his still damp skin. He pulled on his blue robes and tied the sash sloppily around his waist, not much caring what the sash looked like. He stood in front of a small mirror Miaka had given him and began to fix his hair into the long braid he always kept it in. When he'd tied the string around the end of the braid, he headed for the door, unsure of where exactly he was going.

He slid his door open and nearly jumped when he met the hazel eyes of his emperor. At first Nuriko was going to make a joke about Hotohori startling him, but when he saw the serious look on Hotohori's face he decided against it. Nuriko felt Hotohori's gaze fall down to his waist.

"Gods. You don't know how to tie a sash properly do you Nuriko?"

Before Nuriko could open his mouth to reply, he was frozen by Hotohori's hands grasping the sash. Nuriko's whole body trembled when Hotohori loosened and then un-tied the sash. Not a word left either of their mouths when Hotohori began to re-tie the sash. Nuriko swallowed heavily. He wished Hotohori wouldn't have worried about the sash because the seishi's hands were far too close to his member. A wave of relief washed over Nuriko when Hotohori pulled his hands away.

"Come with me, Nuriko."

Before Nuriko had time to reply, Hotohori had turned his back and began to walk away. Nuriko quickly followed as Hotohori lead him through the palace. He followed Hotohori out of the palace doors and out into the garden. He figured Hotohori would want to stop there but he didn't. He continued to walk past the garden and towards the palace wall gates.

"Umm Hotohori, what are you-"

"Don't ask, Nuriko. Just follow me."

The guards standing next to the gate opened it and Hotohori walked through. Nuriko continued to follow him despite being utterly confused. Hotohori lead Nuriko into the woods on the outskirts of the palace. When they reached a clearing, Hotohori stopped and faced Nuriko. He saw the seishi fidgeting with his fingers, clearly anxious about the entire situation.

The look of indifference in Hotohori's eyes sent a shiver through Nuriko's body. Why was he looking at him like that? He'd been so distant on the way here. He hadn't even bothered to explain why he'd brought Nuriko out to the forest in the first place. With all of these things running through Nuriko's mind, he could only think of one answer.

Nuriko looked up from his fingers and muttered, "You didn't have to bring me out to the forest just to reject me, Hotohori. You could have just done it in my bedroom. At least there I have a bed to run to."

Hotohori sighed heavily, "Do you honestly believe that I would have brought you all the way out to this forest just to reject you?"

Nuriko didn't answer. He simply continued to fidget with his fingers. Hotohori approached the seishi and took hold of his fidgeting hands. Nuriko froze and allowed Hotohori to pull his hands apart.

"Nuriko. I told you that I wasn't sure if I could be attracted to you or not. I still don't know if I can. But you asked me how we were going to find out the answer. To be honest, when you asked me that I didn't know what to say. So I made an excuse to leave so I could think about it. Forgive me but that was the only way I could think to resolve it."

Nuriko dared to reached up and take hold of one of Hotohori's hands, "So...what did you decide to do?"

Hotohori wrapped his fingers tightly around Nuriko's hand and mumbled, "Kiss me."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

When the words first left Hotohori's mouth, Nuriko thought he'd heard him wrong. He blinked a dozen times before pulling his hand away and fidgeting again.

"H-Hotohori? What are you saying?"

Hotohori took hold of both of Nuriko's hands and stopped his fidgeting, "I meant what I said, Nuriko. The only way to find out if I can be attracted to you is to try a few things out. So I figured we'd start with something simple. Kiss me now and we'll see what happens."

Nuriko trembled under Hotohori's gaze. True he'd always wanted to kiss the emperor, but he never thought he'd actually have the opportunity. His emperor was asking for a kiss from him. How could he say no? Not only was it an order from the emperor, but it was also a dream made into reality.

'Gods, could this really be happening?'

Removing his hands from Hotohori's grasp, Nuriko leaned towards the emperor. He wrapped his arms around his neck and closed the short gap between their lips. Silk. That's what Hotohori felt caressing his lips. He hadn't expected Nuriko's kiss to be so soft and welcoming. He hadn't expected to enjoy it either. Every doubt he'd had about the kiss disappeared and Hotohori found himself returning it deeply. He pushed Nuriko's lips apart with his tongue and delved into the seishi's warm mouth. A soft moan came from Nuriko as he felt Hotohori's hands wrap around his waist. Hotohori pulled Nuriko tightly against his him, deepening the kiss even more. He found himself unable to pull away from Nuriko's heated body. He broke the kiss and lowered Nuriko to the ground gently. He brought himself over top of Nuriko and found his lips once more.

For Nuriko, this was cloud nine. Not only was Hotohori kissing him, but he was enjoying it as well. It was nothing like what Nuriko had expected. He found himself becoming brave enough to run his hands up the middle of Hotohori's back and rest them on his shoulders. Hotohori's body twitched at the sensation. Nuriko gasped as Hotohori's mouth left his lips and traveled down to his neck. Hotohori stroked the soft skin with his lips, tasting the fire coming from Nuriko's flesh. He decided to experiment further and brought his tongue out to caress the skin. This resulted in a soft moan from Nuriko's lips, only encouraging Hotohori further. As he continued to plant kisses all over Nuriko's neck, he could feel the seishi's hips begin to crash into his.

He grinned and took hold of the top of Nuriko's robes. He pulled them apart just enough to reveal the top of the seishi's chest. He moved his lips down to the newly-exposed area and continued his devouring of Nuriko's skin. Nuriko's hips began to move faster and Hotohori could tell the teasing was driving Nuriko mad. He was about to pull the seishi's robes the rest of the way down when he felt Nuriko's hips hit him again. But this time, something else hit him too. His eyes flew to Nuriko's hips and he saw the protruding bulge coming from under Nuriko's robes. He flinched and pulled away instantly. He stood from the ground and turned his back, leaving Nuriko confused.

"Hotohori? What's wrong?"

Hotohori didn't answer. He only shifted his feet uneasily. Nuriko, feeling as though he'd displeased the emperor, hung his head in shame. However, that was when he discovered the source of Hotohori's discomfort. His still swollen pleasure was bulging from under his loose-fitting robes.

'Hotohori's never felt another man's...'

Nuriko pushed himself up from the ground and stood only inches away from Hotohori.

"Hotohori. If you can't even handle feeling _this_ brushing against you, then there's no point in even trying anything else."

Hotohori sighed heavily and shook his head, "It's not that, Nuriko. It's just I've...never felt a man against me. It was a...shock is all."

Nuriko took Hotohori's shoulders from behind and mumbled, "Are you sure?"

Of course he wasn't sure. There was no way for him to know. Not from just one encounter. He turned towards Nuriko and placed his hands at the seishi's waist. The swelling under his robes had virtually vanished. Nuriko stared back into the emperor's eyes, questioning his actions with every blink.

"I know I figured out what to do last time, but I'm...not sure about this one, Nuriko. I'm going to need your help this time."

Nuriko shivered at his words. Of all of the things Hotohori could have said to him, this was the most frightening. How could he possibly help Hotohori to find his body attractive? Hotohori wasn't normally attracted to men.

"But Hotohori-"

"Don't say anything else. I know what you're thinking. But Nuriko, I care about you enough to try to make this work. I'll try whatever is needed. So don't be afraid. No matter what you need me to do, I will do it."

Hotohori knew that Nuriko would not expect too much from him, so he felt perfectly comfortable telling Nuriko he'd do anything. But even though he'd encouraged him, Hotohori could still see the reluctance behind Nuriko's eyes. Hoping to encourage the seishi further, Hotohori closed his mouth over Nuriko's again. No matter how many times it happened, it thrilled Nuriko just the same every time.

Hotohori pulled his lips away and whispered, "Tell me what I must do, Nuriko."

Nuriko grinned and pulled out of Hotohori's arms, "You don't have to do anything. Just stand there and look at me."

A frown fell over Hotohori's face, "What do you mean?"

Nuriko reached his hands down to the sash around his waist. He pulled the knot loose and let the purple cloth fall to the ground.

He reached his hands up to his shoulders and began to pull the robes away from his body and replied, "The only way we're going to be able to tell if you can be attracted to me is if I show you everything. How can I expect you to be with me if you've never even taken a good look at me before?"

He shrugged the robes the rest of the way off of his shoulders and they fell to the ground in a sloppy pile of green and blue. Once again, the sun beat down on Nuriko's skin and made it glow tantalizingly. Hotohori's eyes traveled all over Nuriko's body, taking in the sheer beauty it emmited. Hotohori finally brought his eyes onto Nuriko's limp member and he couldn't seem to tear them away. He'd never looked upon a man in this way, and it was quite fascinating. He wanted to feel Nuriko's soft skin under his hands once more, so he approached the nude sieshi and wrapped his arms around his beautiful form.

Hotohori quickly noticed how much warmer Nuriko's body was when it wasn't trapped behind robes. He lowered his face down to Nuriko's and covered his mouth in another wave of intense kisses. His heart leapt when he felt Nuriko's hands slip between his robes and stroke his chest.

'Gods, if his hands feel this warm against my chest...'

Without untying the sash around his waist, Hotohori pushed the robes off of his shoulders, revealing his chest to Nuriko. He watched the arousal appear in Nuriko's eyes and he pulled Nuriko's chest against his, cradling the seishi in a tight embrace. Nuriko's fingers gently pushed into his back and he couldn't help but moan at the sensation. Hoping to intensify the moment, Nuriko brought his lips to Hotohori's neck and began to tease the skin with his tongue. Hotohori found himself moaning at Nuriko's advance. His grip on the seishi loosened, his body wanting to focus solely on Nuriko's caresses. Hotohori could see that revealing his chest to Nuriko had lit some kind of fire in the seishi because Nuriko moved his mouth down to the exposed skin on his chest.

Hotohori placed his hand on the top of Nuriko's head and whispered, "Nuriko, would you like me to lie down?"

Nuriko shook his head, "You just stand there looking beautiful and I'll do the rest."

Hotohori grinned, "What do you plan on doing?"

Nuriko brought his lips away from Hotohori's chest and stood straight up. He placed two fingers over the emperor's mouth.

"You'll see. I want you to close your eyes and keep them closed. I'm going to do something that's going to determine if you're comfortable being intimate with a man. If you start to feel uneasy or uncomfortable, then that's it. You can't be attracted to a man. But if you like it, then it's entirely possible."

Hotohori nodded and closed his eyes tightly. The sensation he'd been feeling returned to his chest, but it didn't stay there long. Nuriko ran his tongue down the middle of Hotohori's stomach and stopped at his waist. Goosebumps appeared on Hotohori's arms due to the quick sensation. He was about to move his hand to the seishi's hair, but he froze instantly at the feeling of Nuriko untying the sash around his waist.

Nuriko could sense Hotohori's uneasiness and muttered, "Don't worry. It's not what you think. Even I'm not ready for _that_."

Hotohori's nerves calmed at Nuriko's comforting words and he relaxed his arms at his sides. After Nuriko had untied the sash, the robes around Hotohori's waist fell to the ground, revealing Hotohori's slightly hardened pleasure. Without giving Hotohori time to adjust to the feeling of being nude before him, Nuriko knelt down onto his knees.

Hotohori gasped loudly when he felt a sudden wave of pleasure shoot through his body. He finally opened his eyes and looked down at Nuriko. Hotohori's arousal shot through the roof when he saw what Nuriko was doing. Nuriko had inserted Hotohori's full length into his mouth. The feeling was so intensely pleasurable it took everything Hotohori had to stay on his feet. His entire body was faltering under Nuriko's touch.

With every movement of his mouth, Nuriko could feel Hotohori warm and harden. He could also sense the rest of Hotohori's body going limp. He released the emperor's hardened pleasure and looked up at him.

"Go ahead and lie down, Hotohori. If it will be easier for you then do it."

Nuriko didn't need to repeat himself. Hotohori instantly let himself slide to the ground. However, he didn't do it so quickly because it was easier for him, he did it so quickly so Nuriko would continue. Nuriko hovered over Hotohori and returned his mouth to where it had been. He flicked his tongue over the tip and elicited a sharp moan from Hotohori. He could feel the emperor's body tensing up. Hotohori needed the release that Nuriko was offering him. So Nuriko wasted no time in speeding up his advance. He was determined to make sure his emperor was satisfied.

Hotohori's body wound tighter and tighter until he was sure he would be frozen in place. Nuriko's advance had sent more pleasure into his body than he'd ever felt at once and with every movement Hotohori could feel himself coming closer to the brink of release.

Trying to relieve the tension in his emperor's body, Nuriko brought his hand up to grasp the bottom of the length while his mouth stayed on the top. He moved both his hand and his mouth in unison, hoping it would release his emperor soon.

If Hotohori had had any control over his orgasm, he lost it in that instant. The feeling of Nuriko stroking him in two placed was more than his body could stand and he soon released generously into Nuriko's warm mouth. Nuriko pushed the length into the back of his throat so the unpleasant-tasting liquid would slide directly down his throat instead of torturing his taste buds. He released Hotohori from his grip, and moved upward, laying his cheek on Hotohori's rising and declining chest.

Hotohori's arms instantly captured Nuriko in their grasp, "Nuriko...I don't...know what to say."

Nuriko shook his head against Hotohori's tone chest, "Don't say anything. Just hold me."

"But what...about you?"

"Don't worry about me. This is enough for now. I won't expect anymore from you at the moment. Just relax."

Hothori sighed with relief and comfort. Nuriko's constant understanding and generosity never ceased to amaze Hotohori. He hugged the young man tightly to his body, taking in the heat radiating from Nuriko's silky skin. He wanted to lay next to the seishi forever, but knew he needed to return to the palace.

"Nuriko we should probably-"

"I know. We need to go back to the palace. I swear, sometimes I wish you weren't the emperor."

Hotohori grinned, "Me too."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A strange feeling of dread wouldn't leave Nuriko be. He wanted to go to sleep, but the feeling was so intense his mind could not shut down. He tossed the blankets away from his body and he sat up in the bed. His heart would not stop racing. With every passing second the feeling became more intense until he felt as if his chest would explode.

'What is going on?'

He stood from the bed and walked towards the door to his room. He slid the door open and stepped out. The moon shone down on the palace, revealing the hot springs in the garden. He felt red take over his face. Even now, the encounter made him blush. He shook off the embarrassment and was about to head back to his room, when a silhouette caught his eye. He turned towards it and saw two more following it. He squinted his eyes, trying to see who they were, but their faces were concealed by masks. His eyes flared when he saw the direction they were headed.

'Hotohori! They're going to Hotohori's room. I don't think so.'

He bolted after the intruders and followed closely behind them, keeping himself silent. He stopped at the corner next to Hotohori's room, when he heard the three people begin talking.

"Are you sure this is the emperor's room?" the first one asked.

"Of course, you fool! Who else would have a room this big?" the second one snapped.

"Yeah and we know he'll fetch a good price so what are we waiting for?" the third one taunted.

The one in the front put his hands on the door and slid it open silently. Hotohori slept under his blankets peacefully, unaware of the danger posed to him. The three assailants walked through the door and began to slither towards Hotohori's bed. Nuriko followed them into the room silently, making sure to keep his presence unknown.

The men stopped a few feet before the bed and one of them whispered, "Are you sure we didn't make a mistake? This looks like a woman."

The other two men shrugged their shoulders and reached towards Hotohori. Before the first one could touch the emperor, Nuriko jumped in front of them.

"Okay, back off now!" he exclaimed.

Nuriko's shouting roused the sleeping emperor and he opened his eyes. He looked towards the voice and saw Nuriko standing before him, his back turned.

"Nuriko?"

"Just stay where you are, Hotohori. I'll take care of these men."

The three men laughed out loud, taking hold of their sides. One of them approached Nuriko and reached a hand out to take his shoulder.

"Sorry, little lady. He's ours and there's nothing you can do about it. Now move."

Nuriko's eyes flared, "Lady, huh?"

Before the man could pull away, Nuriko had hold of his wrist. The man cried out when the bones cracked under Nuriko's hand. Nuriko smirked as he released the man's mangled wrist.

"I'll give you three one more chance before I make you leave."

The other two men smirked back at him, "We're not scared of a woman. We'll make you sorry you ever came in here, lady."

The two men drew knives from their pockets. Nuriko sighed heavily and shook his head.

"Some people never learn."

Before the men had time to charge, Nuriko leapt behind them and brought both of his fists down onto their heads, knocking them unconscious.

"Nuriko look out!"

Hotohori's warning came a few seconds too late. The man with the crushed wrist had drawn his own blade and rushed Nuriko. A sharp pain shot through Nuriko's left shoulder and he felt warmth drip down his arm.

Hotohori's eyes flared and he stood from the bed. Drawing his sword, he charged the assailant. He ran his sword through the man's back, taking care not to hit Nuriko. After muttering what sounded like 'urk', the man fell limp against Hotohori's blade. Hotohori roughly jerked the blade out of the man's body and his corpse hit the ground.

Nuriko's hand flew to his shoulder and he tried to suppress the bleeding. Hotohori moved to Nuriko's side and wrapped his arms around the wounded seishi.

"Are you all right, Nuriko?"

Nuriko chuckled, "Of course. It'll take more than a knife to the shoulder to get rid of me."

When Hotohori did not react to his joke, Nuriko became concerned.

"Hotohori, what's wrong?"

Hotohori answered him by squeezing him tightly and replying, "When that bastard stabbed you it...scared me, Nuriko. No it terrified me."

Nuriko's heart rate increased at Hotohori's words, "You don't have to worry about me, Hotohori."

Hotohori released his hold on Nuriko and took hold of the seishi's face. He brought his face down to Nuriko's and planted a kiss on his tender lips. The smell of blood invaded Hotohori's senses and he felt the chilling fear he'd felt shoot through him again. He pulled their lips apart and looked right into Nuriko's chocolate eyes.

"Nuriko, I think I know how I feel now."

Nuriko smiled back at his emperor, "Tell me."

Hotohori hung his head, "I won't say 'I love you' because I can't yet. But I care for you deeply, Nuriko. I don't want to ever lose you. So I'm willing to give this a try if you're willing to work with me."

Nuriko's smile brightened and he threw his arms around Hotohori's waist, "Absolutely."

Hotohori grinned and pushed Nuriko back, "But first, we have to get Mitsukake to heal your wound. You stay here and I'll fetch him."

Hotohori ran past Nuriko and towards the door. When he slid it open he turned back to Nuriko.

"Nuriko. This may seem a bit silly, but will you stay...with me tonight?"

Nuriko nodded immediately, not caring that he seemed overly-excited. A sigh of relief came from Hotohori and the emperor took off down the hallway.


	8. Chapter 8

Day 3

Hotohori awoke the next morning to the dismay of not seeing Nuriko next to him. He knew the seishi had stayed in his room because he remembered falling asleep with him there. But his dismay turned to relief when he found that the bed next to him was still warm.

'He's only just left.'

He sat up in the bed and stretched his arms high over his head. The satisfaction of knowing that Nuriko had slept next to him lightened his mood immensely. He wanted to see the seishi so he stood from the bed and wrapped his red and yellow robes around his body, covering his white sleeping robe. He walked towards the door only to see it slide open, revealing the very person he'd set out to look for.

A smile spread across Hotohori's face, "Good morning, Nuriko."

Nuriko smiled back, "Morning. Um...can I...talk to you about something?"

Hotohori's eyes questioned him, but he nodded, allowing Nuriko to pass him. He slid the door closed and turned towards Nuriko.

"What is it, Nuriko?"

Nuriko returned to his former nervous self and began to fidget with his hands, "Um...well...are we going to...tell the others...you know...about us?"

Hotohori's eyes widened and he began to fidget with his hands as well. They'd only just agreed to start the relationship the night before and now Nuriko wanted to announce it to everyone. Hotohori hadn't expected everything to happen so fast.

"I...I suppose. If that's what you want."

Nuriko could sense the reluctance in Hotohori's voice and it bothered him. He approached the emperor and took one of his hands.

"Do you not want to tell them?"

Hotohori squeezed Nuriko's hand tightly, "It's just that I'm...afraid of what they will think."

Trying to reassure the emperor, Nuriko gave him a warm smile, "Hotohori. They are our friends. Why would they judge us?"

Hotohori shook his head, "It's not our friends I'm worried about. It's the other members of my kingdom. They expect me to provide them with an heir to the throne. Obviously, the two of us can't conceive a child, so I'm not sure what to do."

Nuriko's heart wrenched at Hotohori's words. Neither of them had thought of his rank before all of this happened, and now it was hitting them where it hurt. Nuriko wrapped his arms around Hotohori's waist and leaned his cheek into the emperor's chest.

"Hotohori, if you don't want to continue this I'll...understand."

Hotohori immediately shook his head, "No, Nuriko. I won't give up on this so easily. I don't care what has to be done, I will figure this out."

"But you still don't want to tell anyone?"

Hotohori hung his head, "We can tell Miaka and the other seishi, but not anyone else. At least, not until I can figure out what to do."

Nuriko nodded against Hotohori's chest, "Okay."

* * *

Hotohori and Nuriko stood outside of Miaka's bedroom, both of them fidgeting relentlessly. When they'd told Miaka about their coupling, she became ecstatic and exclaimed that she wanted to announce it to everyone. Of course, the two seishi corrected her and informed her that she could only tell the other seishi and no one else. So she'd gathered Tamahome, Mitsukake, Tasuki, and Chiriko into her bedroom to tell them the news.

"WHAAAAAAT!" came the all too familiar voice of Tasuki.

"Tasuki be quiet!" followed Miaka.

Nuriko chuckled, "I guess she's told them."

Hotohori crossed his arms, "So it would seem."

The door to Miaka's bedroom burst open and Chiriko ran straight to Nuriko and jumped into his arms. The little boy hugged him tightly around the neck.

"Congratulations, Nuriko! I'm really happy for you two!"

Nuriko wrapped his arms around the little boy, "Thank you, Chiriko. That means a lot."

He sat Chiriko down and his gaze turned to the rest of his friends. With his eyes, he questioned the rest of his fellow seishi about him and Hotohori. Tamahome was the first to smile brightly.

"Good for you, Nuriko. I'm glad Hotohori was able to find feelings for you."

Hotohori's tension lessened at Tamahome's kind words. The acceptance of his friends meant the world to Hotohori. He glanced over at Nuriko and grinned. Tasuki and Mitsukake did not say anything; they simply nodded their heads to show their acceptance. Hotohori and Nuriko's hearts warmed and all of their worries disappeared.

"Thank you, my friends," Hotohori voiced, "Your acceptance means the world to us. But please do not mention this to any of my subjects, especially my advisors. They cannot know about this. At least...not yet."

The other seishi nodded, assuring Hotohori that none of them would breath a word of it.

* * *

Hotohori walked out of the throne room and towards his own quarters. Again, his advisors had lectured him for an hour about him choosing an empress. The more the old men badgered him, the less he wanted to even think about an empress; not that an empress had been on his mind to begin with. Every time the old men would bring up the subject, his thoughts would always go to Nuriko. In his mind, he would try to come up with a scenario that would satisfy both parties, but nothing ever came to mind.

He arrived at his door and slid it open, delighted by the sight awaiting him. There, sitting bright-eyed on his bed, was Nuriko. Hotohori smiled warmly and approached the bed. He took a seat next to Nuriko and sighed heavily.

"I think I may go mad if my advisors don't stop pestering me. But it's becoming hard to make up excuses for why I haven't looked for an empress."

Nuriko hung his head, guilt striking him, "I'm sorry, Hotohori. It's my fault."

Hotohori reached over and took hold of one of Nuriko's hands, "No. It's just as much my fault. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to do this. It will just take some bending of the rules to ensure our happiness. I will find and empress and be with you at the same time. I swear."

Nuriko grinned through his fading guilt and rose his eyes to meet Hotohori's, "Okay then...let me take you out somewhere. You need to get out of the palace for a while. It will make you feel better. Besides, we haven't actually been out together yet, so what do you say?"

Hotohori froze instantly. Nuriko wanted to take him out? He wanted to go out in public as a couple? The thought made Hotohori's stomach turn, and he didn't like the feeling. He turned his face away and silently shook his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Nuriko. What if my people recognize me?"

Nuriko rolled his eyes playfully, "You are always behind a veil when you go out into the city. None of your subjects know what you look like. There's no worries there."

When Hotohori's expression didn't change, Nuriko began to worry. He squeezed Hotohori's hand tightly.

"Hotohori, what's wrong? Do you just not want to go out?"

Hotohori shook his head again, "No it's not that it's...just...I...don't know. What will people think if they see us together?"

Nuriko's hand twitched and his eyes hit the floor.

_What will people think if they see us together?_

Nuriko pulled his hand sharply away from Hotohori's and stood from the bed. He began to stomp towards the door, when Hotohori grabbed his arm.

"Nuriko, where are you going?"

"I understand Hotohori-sama. You don't want to be seen with another man. Fine. I won't ask to take you out again."

Hotohori flinched at Nuriko's use of formalities. Nuriko shook off Hotohori's grip and finally reached the door. He slid it open and walked towards his own room. Hotohori was not far behind him, trying desperately to keep a grip on him.

"Nuriko. Stop please. Don't just walk away. Nuriko please listen to-"

Nuriko spun back around and Hotohori gasped at the tears in his eyes. Nuiko reached out one finger and pushed Hotohori away from him.

"No you listen! I love you, Hotohori, but I'm not going to stay here and be your secret lover! I agreed to keep our relationship hidden from your advisors and your subjects. But if the two of us go out, nobody is going to know who you are! Just admit it! You don't want to be seen in public with another man! You're ashamed of us!"

Hotohori felt a deep ager well up inside and his normally calm exterior switched to that of furiousness. He reached a hand out and pushed Nuriko back as well.

"I am not ashamed of us! How can you even think that of me! This is all simple for you, Nuriko! You've been in love with me for years! I've only just discovered these feelings and everything is strange for me! For the love of the gods, I've never been with a man before! Everything is different, and when you ask me to do something with you that I've never done before, I'm going to be nervous! You're pushing me too fast! You have to give me time to adjust to this!"

Nuriko's tears flowed freely down his face, "You think this is easy for me! This is the most difficult thing I've ever done! I know I only have less than four days with you before our journey! When I leave on this journey I may not come back! All I'm trying to do is be with you as much as possible before I have to leave! That's why I'm pushing things! We don't have time to take things slow!"

The two of them shot each other glares before each of them walked towards their own rooms, each man cursing the other under his breath.

Nuriko slid the door to his room open and stomped over to his bed. He threw himself face down onto the cushion, which was suddenly not so comfortable. His tears stained the pillow under him as he chastised himself for ever revealing his feelings to Hotohori.

"Everything was so much easier before I told him the truth," he mumbled to himself.

* * *

"Hotohori?" came a gentle voice.

Hotohori looked up from his pillow and towards the voice. Standing in his doorway was Miaka. The sun shining behind her left a shadow on the floor of his barely lit room. Miaka walked to the bed and sat down next to Hotohori.

"What happened, Hotohori. We all heard you and Nuriko shouting at each other. You've only just decided to be together. What's going on?"

Hotohori raised his head from the pillow and sighed heavily, "This is all very confusing, Miaka. We want to be together, but it seems like everything is working against us."

Miaka smiled and wrapped her arms around Hotohori's neck, "It can't be all that bad. Tell me what's happening."

* * *

"Yeah, but relationships aren't easy, Nuriko."

Nuriko jumped at the scratchy voice and raised his head. He huffed when he saw Tasuki walking towards the bed. He felt Tasuki's weight spread out across the cushion and he sat up to meet his friend's eyes.

"I suppose you heard me and Hotohori?"

Tasuki sneered, "Everyone in the whole palace heard you. Chichiri had to go around to all of Hotohori's servants and erase their short-term memory. Luckily nobody knows about you two falling out besides us. You guys sure don't know anything about subtlety do you?"

Nuriko hung his head and laughed slightly, "No. I guess not."

Tasuki placed his hand over his eyes, "You two can't just give up because you don't agree. I may not know much about women or relationships, but I know that they're not easy. You two have to work together to make this thing work. Besides, you two don't have a lot of time."

Nuriko sighed, "I know."

* * *

"So then quit being an idiot and go see him."

Miaka rolled her eyes and stood from the bed. She reached a hand out and lightly flicked Hotohori in his forehead. Hotohori eyed her, dumbfounded.

"You two are getting all worked up over something as silly as that? *sigh* I swear, you two can be dumb sometimes."

"Miaka?"

"Do you care about Nuriko?"

Hotohori crossed his arms tightly across his chest, "Do you need me to answer that question?"

"Then don't let something this intricate come between the two of you. Go see him."


	9. Chapter 9

*Sorry these chapters took so long to get done. I've been having a massive case of writer's block. I hope you enjoy what I've finally got.*

After Tasuki stomped out of the room, Nuriko leaned back onto his bed, cursing himself for being so touchy. Hotohori hadn't meant to hurt him, but he made that huge scene anyway. He'd even gone so far as to use Hotohori's formal title. That probably hurt Hotohori more than anything else he'd said.

'Dammit! I was so stupid! He's probably furious with me right now!'

He sat up in the bed and looked longingly towards the door. He wanted to do what Tasuki had told him, but the thought terrified him.

'What if he doesn't even want to speak to me? I was pretty awful.'

He brought his hands up to his eyes and covered them, trying to shut out the guilt eating away at him. Finding his hands were not doing the job, he stood sharply from the bed. His eyes fell upon the door, but his feet felt as if they were glued to the wooden planks beneath them. He hung his head, continuing to curse himself and his ridiculous cowardice. His head rose and he forced his feet away from the floor, moving slowly towards the door. Every muscle in his body tensed up as he drew closer towards his destination. His hands fell onto the door and chills shot through his body.

'Come on, Nuriko. You can do this.'

His hands clenched into tight fists before he slid the door open and walked into the hallway. His stomach turned upside down when he turned the corner to Hotohori's room. When the door was within sight, he swallowed heavily.

A coolness ran through Hotohori's spine when his hands touched the door to his bedroom. His body was telling him to stay put, but his mind encouraged him to move forward. He slid the door open and nearly fell onto his rear when he found Nuriko standing behind the thin barrier. Their eyes met and both of them turned away quickly, red attacking their faces. Neither of them knew what to say to the other. The fight had been so silly, yet words were escaping them.

Nuriko was the first to open his mouth and say, "Hotohori...I-"

Nuriko gasped at the slight pressure over his mouth hindering his speech. Hotohori had placed a finger gently over Nuriko's trembling lips.

"Don't say anything, Nuriko. Just come with me."

Nuriko did not reply and followed Hotohori into his bedroom. Hotohori silently slid the door closed behind them, propping a chair against the opposing end to keep it from being opened from the outside. Nuriko's stomach fluttered against Hotohori's hands wrapping tightly around his waist from the back. Steady breaths from Hothori's lips crashed against Nuriko's bare neck, sending goose bumps over his skin.

Nuriko's muscles twitched when he felt Hotohori's hands reach up to his shoulders and peel the robes away from them, revealing the soft flesh underneath. A smile spread across Nuriko's face as he turned towards Hotohori. He wrapped his arms tightly around Hotohori's waist and buried his face into the side of his neck. Hotohori's finger tips brushed across the skin on Nuriko's back, eliciting a soft moan. Hotohori lead the other seishi to the bed and laid him down gently against the sheets.

He pressed his body over the top of Nuriko's and let his mouth assault the seishi's beautiful lips. Nuriko's back arched and his hips crashed against Hotohori, just as they'd done two days before. Hotohori did not pull away when he felt the hardening length press against him. Instead, he welcomed it, knowing it meant that Nuriko was enjoying himself. That was all he wanted at that very moment. He wanted to please Nuriko, to make him feel the same satisfaction he himself had felt.

He felt Nuriko's skin heat up as he caressed the tender flesh on the seishi's neck with his lips. Small moans periodically escaped from Nuriko's vocal cords, bringing Hotohori the familiar feeling of pride. He reached his hands down to the sash around Nuriko's waist, but as soon as he tried to untie it, he felt his hand being pulled away. He stared down at Nuriko with questioning eyes.

"Not now, Hotohori. Just lay here next to me."

Hotohori didn't ask any questions and took his place beside Nuriko, wrapping his arm around the beautiful seishi tenderly. He could feel Nuriko's breaths against his chest and reveled in the feeling.

"I'm sorry, Hotohori."

Hotohori shook his head and laid his lips against Nuriko's forehead, "I'm sorry, too. I can't believe us. We're a couple of grown men fighting over something so ridiculous. We should be ashamed of ourselves."

Nuriko chuckled, "Yeah, soooo ashamed."

Hotohori grinned at Nuriko's sarcasm and tightened his grip on the young man. Even when he wasn't aroused, Nuriko's skin was so warm against him.

"Nuriko?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you still want to go out?"

Nuriko's eyes brightened and he nodded immediately, but cursed himself for his overbearingness. Hotohori leaned his head back against the pillow and sighed.

"Very well. Let's go."

Nuriko lifted his head from Hotohori's chest and eyes him questioningly, "You want to go right now?"

The emperor nodded, "Why not?"

Day 4

The previous night had done more damage to the emperor than he would have liked to admit. When he'd agreed to let Nuriko take him out, he hadn't known what he was in for. It turned out that Nuriko was quite the party animal, downing glass after glass of sake without even becoming tipsy. It was all Hotohori could do to hold down three glasses.

_"""""""""""""""'Come on, Hotohori. Don't tell me that you can't hold your liquor. I get it, you're too much of a lightweight. You wouldn't be able to handle anymore.'_

That was the kicker. Nuriko knew that Hotohori could not back down from a challenge, so Hotohori ordered ten more cups of sake, not realizing the effects it would cause the next morning. His head felt like a ton of bricks and his body was not too far off. He and Nuriko had been unable to sleep in the same room due to his advisors keeping a hawk eye watch on him. They hadn't been too pleased when their emperor had come home intoxicated to the point of unconsciousness, with a man no less. It had taken some witty explaining on Nuriko's part to explain to them that Hotohori hadn't intended to drink so much. The men were still displeased, but they were held at bay nonetheless.

He attempted to lift his head from the pillow, but a wave of pain shot through it and he fell back down. He groaned loudly against the throbbing agony and tried to find a comfortable spot to lay his head. There was none.

"Gods. You look dreadful, Hotohori."

Taking care not to lift his head from the pillow, Hotohori turned his face towards the voice. Standing perfectly, showing no signs of a hangover was Nuriko. Another groan escaped from Hotohori's lips and he turned his face back to the wall, trying to avoid the light coming through the open door.

"How are you...standing, Nuriko? You drank more than I did."

Nuriko chuckled and approached the bed. He carefully put his weight on the mattress, trying not to move Hotohori's head.

"Because I've been drinking since I was thirteen. You've never done any serious drinking before. I shouldn't have acted the way I did."

Nuriko hung his head, "I was drunk by the time you started drinking. I shouldn't have insisted you drink more. It was childish of me."

Hotohori grinned at Nuriko's concern and raised a hand up to brush Nuriko's cheek, "Oh Nuriko. You always take so much of the blame onto yourself. I could have refused to drink the sake, but I didn't. It's my fault not yours."

Hotohori shifted slightly, causing another wave of pain to his head, "But that doesn't make this pain any better. Is there something I can do to make my head stop hurting?"

Nuriko laughed softly as not to disturb Hotohori's throbbing head, "No I'm afraid not. Only time will get rid of a hangover, Hotohori."

Hotohori sighed heavily and let his hand fall over his eyes, "Lovely."

Nuriko carefully stood from the bed and moved the hand away from Hotohori's eyes, "Don't worry, Hotohori. I'll take care of you. Just like you did when I was sick."

Hotohori's face reddened at the idea, remembering how he'd undressed and then redressed an unconscious Nuriko only a few days before. However, after he thought about it for a few moments, it didn't sound too bad.

"All right, Nuriko. I guess you do owe me for challenging me to drink all of that sake."

"Okay Hotohori, drink this."

Hotohori peered up at the clear glass in Nuriko's hand and the contents did not look appealing. A translucent substance with a few yellow splotches painted the inside of the glass.

"What is it?"

"It's raw eggs."

Hotohori felt his stomach turn at the thought of ingesting the egg. He shook his head and turned his face away.

"No way."

Nuriko placed the glass on the night stand next to the bed and crossed his arms tightly.

"Hotohori, do you want to feel better?"

The emperor peered up at Nuriko and nodded.

"Okay then, drink this. I know it's gross, but it will help a little. It may even stop the headache."

A look of defeat fell over the face of the emperor. He reached out his hand towards the night stand and wrapped his fingers around the glass. Forcing himself to sit up, he raised the glass to his lips and tilted it back. His taste buds screamed at him as the egg slid over his tongue and down his throat. When he placed the glass back on the nightstand, he had to press his palm over his mouth and lean his head back to keep from vomiting. When the feeling of illness passed, he let himself lean back onto the pillows.

"That was absolutely foul."

A small giggle came from Nuriko and he knelt down onto the soft cushion next to Hotohori. Crawling to the top of the bed, he wrapped his arms around Hotohori and pulled the emperor's throbbing head against his chest. Hotohori welcomed the small bit of relief Nuriko was trying to give him.

"I'm sorry, Hotohori. Let's not drink anymore okay?"

Hotohori chuckled in response, "Fine with me."

Hotohori's eyelids began to feel heavy and he shifted a bit in Nuriko's arms, "Nuriko?"

"Hmmm?"

"Did you put a sleeping draft in the eggs by any chance?"

Nuriko grinned, "Yep."

Hotohori grinned back, "Thank you."


	10. Chapter 10

A great thrashing awoke Nuriko from his slumber and he sat up quickly. Next to him, Hotohori appeared to be wrestling with a ghost. The emperor's eyes were closed and he was muttering something incoherent under his breath. Nuriko took advantage of his super strength and pushed the emperor down onto his back.

"Hotohori! Wake up!"

The emperor did not stir from the nightmare, and he continued to thrash, even under Nuriko's strong grip. Nuriko's eyes widened when the emperor's teeth closed around his bottom lip, drawing blood. Not wishing to wait for the nightmare to drive Hotohori do hurt himself more, Nuriko reached his hand back, and brought it down across Hotohori's face, knocking the emperor out of the hellish nightmare. Many deep breaths escaped from Hotohori's lungs before the emperor finally came to his senses. His eyes fell instantly upon Nuriko and he threw his arms around the other seishi.

"Nuriko," Hotohori whispered against Nuriko's chest.

"It's okay Hotohori. It was only a nightmare. You're safe now."

Hotohori's grip on him tightened and he replied, "No. I wasn't afraid for myself. I was afraid for you. I saw you being...devoured by a wolf. I tried to stop the beast, but I couldn't move. By the time I'd regained use of my limbs, you were already gone."

Nuriko stifled a gasp at the horror of the dream. Never before had Hotohori suffered with nightmares, so for him to have such a wretched dream was strange. Nuriko pulled Hotohori back down onto the bed and wrapped his arms tightly around the frightened emperor. Sweat from Hotohori's forehead stuck tightly to Nuriko's bare chest.

"Don't worry about it, Hotohori. I'm not going anywhere."

The longer Hotohori lay cradled in Nuriko's arms, the more relaxed he became. Trying to encourage the emperor, Nuriko brought his lips to Hotohori's forehead, placing a light kiss on the skin. Hotohori grinned at Nuriko's sentiment.

"Nuriko. Just promise me one thing."

"Hmm?"

"Steer clear of wolves."

Nuriko wanted to giggle, but held himself when he noticed the seriousness in Hotohori's voice. The nightmare had wounded Hotohori more than Nuriko had realized. He tightened his grip on Hotohori.

"Don't worry. I told you I'm not going anywhere. Not when I have such a great reason for coming back. I'm not gonna let some stupid wolf knock me off."

Though Hotohori appreciated Nuriko's attempts to soothe his swimming mind, he wished that Nuriko would take his warning a bit more seriously.

'Then again, would I love him if he wasn't himself?'

As soon as the thought crossed his mind he nearly gasped aloud. He'd finally admitted it to himself. As much as he'd tried to avoid the word, it seemed to creep up on him.

"Nuriko."

"Hmm?"

"I think I love...you."

He wanted to scream aloud and jump for joy. He wanted to grasp tightly to his emperor and smother him with kisses. He wanted to burst into tears and sob himself to sleep. But he didn't do any of those things. The emperor had finally admitted to loving him. He wasn't going to do anything to screw up the moment. So rather than make a scene, he simply ran his fingers through the emperor's silky hair.

"Me too."

Day 5

When Hotohori awakened to find his beautiful would-be lover next to him, he expected the day to be amazing. Every time he awoke to Nuriko's face, the morning would look a bit brighter. However, he was unable to see the piercing eyes pushing their way through a small crack in his door. The young man on the other side was supposed to be a trusted subject of Hotohori's, but now he was planning on using his emperor for his own means. He watched as the emperor stood from the bed, his robes hanging from his waist, revealing the emperor's chest.

The young man behind the door chuckled lightly as to not alert the emperor, 'I can't believe how easy this is. Now that I've caught him with a woman, he'll pay me anything to make sure I don't tell. This is gonna be great.'

The boy continued to peer in, hoping to catch a glimpse of the couple together, giving him more blackmail to use against Hotohori. However, the youth was in for more than he bargained for when Nuriko roused from the blankets and stood from the bed, his robes griping his waist as well. The youth's eyes widened when he watched the emperor scoop Nuriko up into his arms and kiss him gingerly. The young man wanted to laugh aloud, finding this information to be even sweeter than he'd thought.

'This is amazing. At least with a woman he could attempt to explain it all away. But no. Not with this. If his advisors find out about this he'll not only be overturned, but he'll be the laughing stock of the entire country. He won't have any choice but to give me what I want.'

"Hotohori?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you hear something?"

Nuriko's eyes moved to the door and the youth tried to move from his sight. He was unsuccessful and Nuriko bolted towards the door. He tore it open, catching a glimpse of the youth as he ran around the corner. He took off after the young man, rounding the corner and cutting him off. When the youth tried to go around Nuriko, the seishi took hold of the man by his collar and dragged him back to Hotohori's bedroom. When he entered the room, he threw the youth roughly to the floor at Hotohori's feet. After checking the hallway for others, Nuriko closed the door.

Hotohori knelt down in front of the youth, "What did you see?"

The youth didn't answer and Hotohori clenched his fist tightly, "What did you see! Answer me you prying voyeur!"

The youth stared menacingly back at Hotohori, "Enough. Enough to get you overturned and your lover executed unless you do exactly what I say."

Nuriko glared at the back of the youth's head, "You bastard! What makes you think anyone will believe you!"

The youth chuckled out loud, "You know as well as I do that it only takes one person to start a rumor! Whole kingdoms have collapsed because of a single rumor! What makes _you_ think that the same won't happen to you!"

Hotohori flinched at the harsh words and stood from his place in front of the young man. He turned his back and crossed his arms tightly, "Okay. What is it that you want? Money?"

"Why, your highness. You read my mind."

Nuriko huffed at the youth and sneered, "I would suggest biting your tongue. The emperor could easily have you thrown out of this kingdom."

"Yeah, but if he does that, who's to stop me from telling the entire world what I just witnessed?"

Nuriko took hold of his bottom lip with his teeth and bit it tightly, fighting the urge to beat the living daylights out of the pestering youth. Hotohori stepped past the youth and stood next to Nuriko.

"How much are you asking?" the emperor reluctantly asked.

"I want to be rich. As rich as the high up snobs who live in the palace with you."

Nuriko huffed again, "You've got some nerve."

The youth glared piercingly at Nuriko, "Shut up! You know nothing! He has all the money he could possibly need. The rest of us aren't so lucky. If he gets sick, he can pay for the best doctor to come in and treat him. If one of us gets sick, we have to hope we're lucky enough for the doctor to treat us for free!"

Nuriko fixed his eyes on the youth's face, only to glimpse tears dripping down his cheeks. Hotohori noticed the tears as well and smiled gingerly. He approached the youth and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Young man. Are you attempting to blackmail me because you need money to pay for a doctor?"

The youth stared back at Hotohori, realizing the emperor did not seem angry, "Y-Yes."

Hotohori smiled brightly, "Then there's no need for all of this. I have a doctor in the palace right now who will treat you for no charge."

The young man hung his head, ashamed of his behavior, "W-Well your highness. It's not me who needs to be treated. It's my...father."

Nuriko, now more sympathetic for the youth, approached him, "What is your name?"

The youth looked up from the floor and replied, "Shinichiro."

Hotohori met Nuriko's eyes and nodded. Nuriko knew what Hotohori's message was and left the room, making sure to pull his robes back up before hand.

"Okay Shinichiro, we have an exceptional doctor here who will help your father to the best of his abilities. If we provide your father with the medical care he needs, will you stop this foolish blackmailing?"

Shinichiro nodded shamefully, "Yes your highness."

Hotohori noticed the guilty look painting the young man's face and smiled, "Don't worry, Shinichiro. I have no plans to punish you. I understand that you were desperate. Desperation will drive people to do many things that they would never have done before."

Shinichiro met Hotohori's eyes and smiled brightly, finally recognizing the kindness of his emperor. He threw his arms around Hotohori's waist, thanking the emperor without words.

Hotohori grinned, "Shinichiro?"

Shinichiro released the emperor and replied, "Yes?"

"You must promise me to never speak of what you just witnessed to anyone. It seems that you know full well what would happen if you did."

The young man nodded, "I promise I won't tell. But your highness, can you tell me how? How is it possible for a man to love another man? I just can't wrap my head around it."

Outside of the door, Nuriko and Mitsukake stood, listening intently to what Hotohori and the youth were saying. Nuriko thought of opening the door and saving Hotohori from answering the touchy question, but he himself was curious as to what his would-be lover would say. So he hushed Mitsukake, and pressed his ear against the door.

Hotohori grinned and put his hands on Shinishiro's shoulders, "Well when it started out I asked myself the same question. I just couldn't fathom how I could bring myself to love a man. However, after spending these past few days with Nuriko, it stopped being about loving a man. It became about loving Nuriko. I love _him, _and his gender means absolutely nothing. If he were a woman I would love him just as much as I do now. This may not be clear to you right now, but when you fall in love for the first time, you will understand what I mean."

Beyond the door, Nuriko could feel a dampness on his face. Hotohori had never said any of those things to him. Up until that very moment, Nuriko had held doubts about his relationship with the emperor. But at that very moment, every one of them vanished. Not caring that two people were watching, Nuriko bolted through the door and ran to Hotohori. He captured his emperor in his arms and squeezed him tightly.

"Nuriko?...I suppose you were listening?"

Nuriko nodded, unable to speak due to the tears caught in his throat.

Shinichiro approached the couple and gently poked Nuriko's lower back. Nuriko released Hotohori and turned towards the youth, meeting his eyes immediately.

Shinichiro blatantly scratched the back of his head and mumbled, "I-I'm sorry...you know for...peeping and threatening the two of you. Feel free to smack me for it. I deserve it."

Nuriko wanted to laugh aloud, knowing full well what a slight tap from him could do to the young man, but he held himself and replied, "No. I understand why you did what you did. If I were in your shoes, I probably would have done something stupid too. I don't think I would have done something _this_ stupid but you never know."

Shinichiro laughed aloud as Mitsukake walked into the room. At first, the young man flinched at the sight of the large seishi, but quickly realized who he was.

"Sir, are you really as good of a doctor as they say? Because my father is really sick."

Mitsukake, put a hand on Shinichiro's shoulder and said, "I can't promise you anything, but I will try my hardest to help him. Now, come. Show me where you live."

Shinichiro smiled brightly and instantly bolted out of the room, leaving Mitsukake with a lot of ground to cover. The medical seishi waved goodbye and took off after the cheerful young man.

As soon as Nuriko closed the door behind Mitsukake, Hotohori released loud sigh of relief. Nuriko chuckled slightly at his emperor's charming outburst.

"Have you ever been so scared in your life, Nuriko?"

Nuriko grinned, "No I don't think I have."

Hotohori moved over to Nuriko and gingerly wrapped his arms around the seishi's waist.

"Hotohori?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to go with them to see Shinichiro's father?"

"Do you want to?"

Nuriko nodded, "If you don't mind."

Hotohori released Nuriko's waist and took one of his hands, "Then let's go."

* * *

When Hotohori lead Nuriko back into his bedroom, the moon shone through the window and onto the welcoming bed. Shinichiro's father had been so happy about being treated that he'd insisted that Mitsukake, Nuriko and Hotohori stay for dinner. Of course, the three seishi were more than happy to oblige. However, the three became so lost in food and conversation that they lost track of time. The three finally left the house at a quarter to ten.

"Nuriko?"

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow is our last day together."

The words were like a punch to the gut. Nuriko had not even noticed how quickly the week had flown by.

Nuriko hung his head and mumbled, "Why is it that time only passes quickly when you don't want it to?"

Hotohori approached Nuriko and took his hand. He led his would-be lover to the bed and they sat next to each other, both of them trying to fathom how they only had one more day and two more nights together.

Nuriko moved closer to Hotohori and leaned his head on the emperor's shoulder. Hotohori accepted the advance and wrapped his arms around Nuriko, trying to cheer up his melancholy partner. As much as Nuriko appreciated Hotohori's sentiment, even his emperor's arms could not warm the coldness entering his body. The thought of leaving the next day terrified Nuriko to no end.

"Nuriko."

The seishi did not answer, too enthralled in his despair to reply.

"Don't worry Nuriko. You'll come back. I know you will."

Nuriko released himself from Hotohori's grip and let himself fall against the cool blankets on the bed. Hotohori followed him and he felt himself being pulled against Hotohori's warm body.

"I hope you're right, Hotohori."


	11. Chapter 11

Hotohori opened his eyes to find Nuriko standing over his bed, his robes hanging around his waist and a smile painting his face. Hotohori smiled back at Nuriko and sat up in the bed. It wasn't until the blankets fell from his chest that the night before suddenly re-entered his memory.

Hotohori grinned and said, "Why did you stop me last night, Nuriko?"

Nuriko raised his arm and scratched the back of his head, "I just...didn't want you to have to make such a step...just in case I...you know...don't come back."

Hotohori sighed loudly and held his hand out to Nuriko. Nuriko accepted his hand and Hotohori pulled him to the bed. He sat down next to Hotohori, feeling the emperor wrap his arms around his waist and rest his head on his shoulder.

"Nuriko. You can't let the fact that you're leaving keep you from being with me. I told you that I'm perfectly ready for it. You've been in love with me for years so why aren't you ready?"

Nuriko hung his head, cursing himself for upsetting Hotohori, "I'm sorry. I guess I'm trying to lessen your burden. If we don't take it to the next step and I die, it won't hurt you as much."

Hotohori shook his head, "That's where you're wrong. It would be worse. Because not only would you be gone, but I'd spend the rest of my life wondering 'what if?'. I can't think of anything worse than that."

"But-"

"No 'buts'. Tell me right now that you're not ready to be with me and I'll drop it. But if you are ready then I want to be with you. Tonight."

Nuriko's heart beat against his chest so loudly that he thought it would punch a hole right through. He'd hoped that Hotohori would grow to love him over the week, but he hadn't expected the emperor to take it this far. His mind swam with thoughts of how he could talk the emperor out of the decision. But he knew Hotohori. Once he set his mind to something there was no changing it.

Nuriko submitted to his emperor's request and replied, "Okay, Hotohori. If it's what you really want."

Hotohori reached out and took hold of both of Nuriko's hands, "No, Nuriko. It has to be what we both want."

Nuriko fidgeted his fingers under Hotohori's grip, "Believe me, I want to. It's just that I don't want you to do this only to find that you regret it later."

Hotohori grinned at Nuriko's constant concern, "Nuriko, I love you. How could I possibly regret it?"

No matter how many times Hotohori said it, the words were like beautiful bells ringing in Nuriko's ears. To have his emperor say that he loved him made Nuriko feel immortal.

Nuriko gripped tightly to Hotohori's hands and whispered, "Okay. Tonight then."

Their heads raised when they heard a tapping at the door. They both pulled their robes back up quickly.

"Yes! Who is it!" Hotohori called out.

The voice from the other side of the door replied, "Don't worry, Hotohori. It's Miaka."

Hotohori sighed heavily with relief, "Okay. Come in Miaka."

Miaka slid the door open and took a few steps into the room, "So what are you guys planning on doing today?"

The two seishi's gave her a blank stare.

She giggled loudly and exclaimed, "Well, Nuriko is leaving tomorrow! You guys have to do something fun today! So what's it gonna be!"

Nuriko shrugged his shoulders. He and Hotohori had the night planned out, but not the day.

Miaka sighed heavily, "Geeze, you two. Okay how about this! You two go out to dinner, then you take Nuriko shopping for some new clothes. Since he's decided he wants to wear mens clothes now, he needs some new ones."

Nuriko grinned and mumbled, "Miaka. Stop telling Hotohori to spend money on me."

"And why shouldn't I spend money on you? I'm the emperor, Nuriko. I have more money than I need."

Nuriko's face reddened, "I know but-"

"No 'buts'. You're getting some new clothes."

"Hotohori," Nuriko groaned.

"Oh hush and come on."

Though it bothered him to let Hotohori buy him clothes, Nuriko nodded his head in defeat.

* * *

"Nuriko come on. You have to pick out something. I can't choose for you."

Nuriko moved through the small clothing store, trying his hardest to keep his cool. Every second he wanted to grab one of the beautiful garments and scream aloud how much he loved them. But he didn't want to let Hotohori see how much he liked the clothes for fear that the emperor would buy the whole store for him.

When he'd decided to leave dinner for second, Hotohori hadn't been aware of how long Nuriko was going to take in the clothing store. From the emperor's point of view, Nuriko looked utterly confused. Hotohori approached Nuriko and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Nuriko? Why won't you pick anything out?"

Nuriko hung his head, "I'm sorry, Hotohori. I just don't like you buying clothes for me. I'm a grown man. I should be buying my own clothes."

Hotohori sighed heavily and took a garment off of the shelf, "Okay. How about this? I'll take something off of the rack, and you nod your head if you like it and shake your head if you don't."

Nuriko turned his face away from the clothes and replied, "No. Because if I say I like something, you're going to buy it for me."

Groaning aloud, Hotohori stared sternly at Nuriko, "How can I get you to let me buy you some clothes?"

Nuriko crossed his arms across his chest and mumbled, "If you promise to only buy me five."

Hotohori crossed his arms over his chest in response, "Ten."

"Six."

"Eight."

"Seven."

The two would-be lovers eyed each other intently, neither wishing to give in to the other.

"Eight."

"Seven."

"Eight."

"Seven."

Their eyes continued to battle each other for dominance. Had it been a male and female confrontation, the outcome may have come a bit sooner, but the two men couldn't bear the thought of their egos being bruised.

As he stared back at Hotohori, a sinister thought crept into Nuriko's mind. He snickered in his mind and lowered his eyes to the floor, breaking the staring battle and making it seem he'd given in.

Hotohori grinned and un-crossed his arms, "Eight it is."

Before Hotohori could turn back to the clothing rack, Nuriko raised his eyes from the floor. Using every bit of feminine charm he could muster, Nuriko began to bat his eyes in the most pitifully pleading way, inaudibly begging the emperor to reconsider.

At first, Hotohori stared back in sympathy, feeling a bit of guilt for suggesting buying an extra outfit. However, after looking carefully into his would-be lover's eyes he could see the insincerity.

He smiled maliciously and replied, "Nice try, Nuriko. You looked away first so you lose. Your getting eight new outfits."

Nuriko sighed heavily and hung his head in defeat, "Curses."

* * *

"Okay Hotohori. You bought all of these new clothes for me, so I get to buy dinner."

Hotohori stumbled out of the clothing store holding three brown bags full of brightly colored outfits and grumbled, "Nuriko."

"Don't even bother trying to argue, Hotohori. You spent way more money on me than I wanted you to, so dinner is on me."

If the two would-be lovers would have bothered to pay attention, they would have noticed all of the people surrounding them giggling to themselves. If they would have cared at all, they would have seen the questioning looks they were being given by the children as they passed by. But the two men were so beyond empathy that another young man could have threatened to reveal them and they would have simply laughed in his face.

When they approached the restaurant, Hotohori stopped in his tracks at the door. Nuriko stopped soon after and turned towards Hotohori.

"Hotohori? What's wrong?"

Hotohori pointed into the restaurant and Nuriko saw the source of Hotohori's sudden nervousness. Three of Hotohori's advisors sat at one of the tables in the restaurant, all of them with full plates of food. Nuriko sighed heavily and turned towards Hotohori.

"It's okay, Hotohori. I came prepared for something like this."

Nuriko reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small hair string.

"Turn around, Hotohori."

After Hotohori turned his back, Nuriko tied the emperor's long silver hair into a ponytail, leaving only one strand of hair hanging in the front. Hotohori shifted uneasily.

"Nuriko? Won't this make me look like a woman?"

Nuriko grinned, "Exactly. Now come on."

Hotohori felt himself being pulled by his arm, and everything around him went slightly darker. He looked around and realized that Nuriko had pulled him into an alleyway.

"Nuriko, what are you doing?"

"Just relax. I've been doing this for most of my life. I think you can bear to do it for the next hour or so."

"Do what?"

Nuriko grinned again, "Be a woman."

Hotohori's eyes widened in protest, "What! But Nuriko..."

"It's the only way your advisors won't recognize you, now hold still and let me work my magic."

Hotohori painstakingly did as he was told, until he saw what Nuriko pulled out of his pocket next. When Nuriko's hands left his pockets, he held bundles of white bandages.

"What are those for, Nuriko?"

"To give us figures, what else? Open your robes."

"Are you mad?"

"Relax Hotohori. No one can see us."

Hotohori groaned loudly and parted his robes. His chest felt a sharp twinge of cool air. Nuriko began to unravel the bandages in his hands when a shadow passed over them. Nuriko flinched and leapt in front of Hotohori, worrying someone had discovered them. But when Nuriko looked around, he discovered the origin of the shadow to be nothing but a black dog sniffing around for scraps from the restaurant. He exhaled heavily and continued the tedious job of untangling the mess of bandages.

When the bandages were untangled, he began to wrap them tightly around Hotohori's already slim waist.

While Nuriko was busy at work, Hotohori mumbled, "So how do you intend to make me look like a woman when I'm wearing mens robes?"

Nuriko smirked and pointed to a bag on the ground next to them, "I hid that bag in the alleyway in case we needed it. There are two kimonos in there."

Hotohori shook his head, "You cannot be serious."

"I'm serious. I waited too long to have this night with you and nothing is going to spoil it for us."

Hotohori sighed, "Where did you get those kimonos anyway?"

"We just came from a clothing store."

"But how did you hide that bag from me?"

Nuriko smirked again, "I have my ways, Hotohori. I'm more clever than you think."

Nuriko finished wrapping the bandages around him and reached down for the bag. Hotohori expected him to pull out a kimono, but instead he pulled out more bandages and what looked like two white cotton balls.

"What are those, Nuriko?"

Nuriko held the white balls up to Hotohori's chest, "I made these special when I was a woman. It made it look like I had breasts. I have four of them here."

"Gods, Nuriko. You thought of everything didn't you?"

"Yes. Now be perfectly still. This is the hard part."

Very tediously, Nuriko managed to hold the white balls to Hotohori's chest with one hand, and wrap the bandages around them with the other. When the bandages were tight enough, the white balls did not move and stayed upright against Hotohori's chest. If Hotohori hadn't known better, he would have thought they were real breasts.

"You're very good at this, Nuriko."

"Well I've had years of practice. But it's a lot harder to dress someone else up."

Nuriko reached his hand into the bag again and pulled out a long, blue and green kimono.

"This one's yours Hotohori. You think you can do this part without my help?"

Hotohori snatched the kimono away, "I suppose."

Coming out of his robes in the middle of an alleyway sent a shiver down Hotohori's spine. It was a bit thrilling knowing that someone could happen upon them at any time. He pulled the kimono over his shoulders and found that Nuriko had picked out the precise size for him. Tying the kimono proved to be much easier than tying his normal robes together.

While Hotohori was dressing himself, Nuriko had started to repeat the same process used on Hotohori on himself. He was much faster at it when he was doing it to himself. He had himself bandaged and clothed in half the time it took for him to bandage Hotohori. As a final touch, Nuriko untied the braid from his hair and let the lavender flow over his shoulders.

'He could fool the gods into thinking he is a woman,' Hotohori thought to himself.

Nuriko inspected Hotohori's work with the kimono and smiled, "Not bad for your first time putting one on. Okay, now there's one more thing."

"Of course there is."

Nuriko reached his hand into the bag a third time and withdrew a small black tube, "Miaka gave me this. She calls it lipstick. I suppose it's the same as the lip cream we use, just more compact. If we put this on, it will definitely bring out a feminine charm."

Nuriko pulled the lid off of the lipstick and twisted the red makeup out of its container, "Now open your mouth a little bit Hotohori."

The emperor didn't bother arguing and opened his mouth. As soon as the emperor's mouth was open wide enough, Nuriko began to gently paint his lips with the red lipstick, making sure to cover every inch of them.

When he'd finished, he pulled the lipstick away and said, "Now do this."

Nuriko made the motion of rubbing his lips together. Hotohori imitated him and the lipstick spread itself out beautifully.

Nuriko smiled brightly, "There. All done. I think you just might be prettier than me."

Hotohori chuckled, "Impossible."

Nuriko felt his cheeks redden and he distracted himself by painting his own lips with the red makeup. When he'd finished, he shoved all of the mens clothes scattered on the ground into the bag the kimonos had previously occupied. He picked it up and turned towards, Hotohori.

"Okay, Hotohori. Let's go."

True to what Nuriko had told him, the advisors did not even give the emperor a second glance whenever they walked into the restaurant.


	12. Chapter 12

*Okay if this chapter sucks severly I appologize. I had a really hard time writing this because I've never done a scene like this with two men. Hopefully it's better than I think it is.*

The two men stumbled out of the restaurant, both of them a bit tipsy from the sake they'd been indulging in for the past few hours.

Nuriko, the less tipsy of the two, said, "Okay Hotohori. Where to next?"

Hotohori felt himself sober a bit at Nuriko's words and mumbled, "Hotel."

A chill went up Nuriko's spine at the single word that had just left Hotohori's lips. He'd been having so much fun that he hadn't noticed how quickly the day had gone by. The moon was already high overhead.

Thinking he may use the lateness as an excuse to return to the palace, Nuriko replied, "But Hotohori, it's really late. Shouldn't we get you back to the palace before your advisors really do kill me this time?"

Hotohori pulled himself further out of his stupor and sneered, "Nice try, but Chichiri has disguised himself as me. My advisors will never know I am gone."

'Curses!'

"Now come on, Nuriko. Let's head to a hotel."

Nuriko smiled weakly, "Okay."

* * *

The room was small and quaint, not the type of room Hotohori was used to seeing. But if this was the room he was to share with Nuriko, it would seem a palace in itself. He stood in the room with his back to the door, waiting for his would-be lover to come through it.

_'You go in and get the room Hotohori. I'm gonna go get out of these clothes. If the clerk sees two women getting a hotel room together, he may get suspicious. And your advisors may still be loitering around so you can't be walking into a hotel as the emperor. You get to stay the woman.'_

Finding standing to be tiresome, Hotohori moved to the bed and sat down, shifting uneasily in the kimono.

'Hurry up, Nuriko. I'd like to have my robes back.'

Footsteps beyond the door alerted the emperor and he turned his eyes towards the sound. He was delighted when the door to the room slid open, revealing his soon-to-be lover. Nuriko smiled gently back at him and stepped into the room, sliding the door closed behind him. To Hotohori's relief, Nuriko held up the bag containing Hotohori's robes. But before Hotohori could unleash a sigh of relief, Nuriko dropped the bag to the ground. The contents spilled out onto the floor in a pile.

"You won't be needing these anyway, Hotohori."

Hotohori grinned slyly and held his hand out to Nuriko. Nuriko took it and felt himself begin pulled forward. He landed gently in Hotohori's arms.

"I like you as a woman, Hotohori."

Hotohori chuckled, "Do you like me better as a woman?"

Nuriko shook his head, "Naw. I'd rather you be you."

Nuriko reached his hand into one of his pockets and pulled out a small white handkerchief. He placed it against Hotohori's lips and wiped away the now dulled red lipstick. Once the lipstick was gone, Hotohori took the handkerchief away from Nuriko and tossed it to the floor. Nuriko stared longingly at Hotohori, waiting for permission to begin. Hotohori simply reached down to his waist and pulled on the knot holding the obi in place. Nuriko felt his heart rate quicken at Hotohori's actions. When the obi was loosened, it slid down allowing the kimono to open slightly, teasing Nuriko's eyes with a hint of skin. Hotohori could see the arousal in Nuriko's eyes and did not hesitate in pulling the kimono away from his shoulders. Any reservations Nuriko had before that moment vanished at the sight of Hotohori's glowing skin.

Following in the emperor's steps, Nuriko pulled the knot of his sash free. The blue cloth fell to the floor and his robes soon followed. A sea of green and blue was left behind as he climbed into the bed next to his emperor. Hotohori pulled the blankets back and the two of them slid under them. As soon as their skins touched, goose bumps covered their bodies. They'd felt the pleasure of each others' skin before but not under such circumstances.

Hotohori gasped when he felt himself being pushed down onto his back. He peered up into Nuriko's chocolate eyes and could see the arousal behind them growing with each passing second. Seeing that Nuriko was once again waiting for permission, Hotohori nodded.

"You don't have to keep waiting for permission, Nuriko. I do want this."

Nuriko's face reddened, "I'm sorry, Hotohori. I'm just trying to make...sure this isn't uncomfortable for you."

Hotohori rolled his eyes playfully, "I'm far from uncomfortable, Nuriko. Please just relax. I don't want this night to be awkward."

"I know. I've just never done...this before."

Hotohori's eyes widened, "Nuriko? You've never been with a man before?"

Nuriko shook his head, "Not this way."

"Is that why you're so nervous?"

Looking down at his emperor, Nuriko could see the concern in his eyes, "Yeah that's part of it. But I'm also afraid that I might dissatisfy you."

Hotohori chuckled to himself, "Nuriko, we're both new at this. I know it's not going to be perfect. We'll probably be clumsy and not know entirely what to do. We'll probably wind up doing everything wrong, but that's okay. I love that you've never done this before because now we can learn together."

Hotohori's words sent a calming wave of relief through Nuriko's body. His muscles relaxed and his confidence increased. He peered down at Hotohori's face and smiled brightly.

"Okay, Hotohori."

Not wishing to keep the emperor waiting any longer, Nuriko leaned towards him and smothered his lips in a kiss. The contact sent Hotohori's heart to racing. He longed to feel more of Nuriko's skin against him so he reached his arms up to wrap around his soon-to-be lover. Hotohori's advance excited Nuriko, so he found himself being bold enough to push Hotohori's lips apart with his tongue and explore the emperor's welcoming mouth. Hotohori voiced a quiet moan.

Nuriko positioned his knees between Hotohori's thighs and parted the emperor's slender legs. Nuriko leaned in closer and their arousals bumped against one another, each seeming to fight the other for dominance. Every time their arousals would touch, they would both release quiet sighs of delight. Hotohori was becoming increasingly curious, so he moved one of his hands towards Nuriko's waist and reached for Nuriko's hardened pleasure. He grasped the organ tightly and a surprised squeak left Nuriko's lips. Hotohori began to move his hand up and down over the pulsing organ. Nuriko felt his arms begin to weaken around him and he had no choice but to let himself fall onto the bed next to Hotohori.

The emperor never released his grip and he continued his stroking intently. Nuriko's back arched against Hotohori's advance, giving Hotohori a bit of help. The more Hotohori stroked, the harder it was becoming for Nuriko to keep control of himself. He wanted the release Hotohori was trying to give him, but he did not want to make himself useless either. He reached his hand down to try to tell Hotohori to stop when another more intense wave of pleasure shot through him. When he attempted to sit up and see what had happened, he felt a firm hand on his stomach holding him in place. It was all too obvious what was going on. Hotohori was returning the favor Nuriko had given him days before.

It was taking everything Nuriko had to remain still while the emperor's mouth moved over his arousal. Every slight movement of the emperor's tongue sent goose bumps over Nuriko's skin, making immobility that much harder. Hotohori could feel the tension building up inside of his lover and he wanted terribly to relieve it. So he decided to try what Nuriko had done and gripped the bottom of Nuriko's length tightly and began to move it in sync with his mouth. Immobility became impossible and Nuriko's hands wildly grasped onto the bed sheets. He knew if Hotohori continued he would release so he pushed himself up and put his hands on Hotohori's head.

Hotohori released Nuriko's member and raised his eyes, "What's wrong, Nuriko?"

Sweat dripped down the side of Nuriko's face and he replied, "You're going to make me useless if you keep that up."

Hotohori grinned and took hold of Nuriko's shoulders. He pushed the seishi onto his back and planted a sudden kiss on his lips.

"That's the point," he mumbled.

Hotohori returned to his position and continued his previous actions. Nuriko was unable to stop him the second time and allowed himself to become lost in the glorious feeling of his emperor. Hoping to release Nuriko soon, Hotohori sped up the advance, again copying what Nuriko had done for him. Once again, Hotohori felt the tension build up in Nuriko's now glowing muscles. Nuriko's fingers grasped tightly to the sheets as he tried his hardest to remain still. His hips wanted terribly to buck, but he knew he couldn't allow himself that. He could feel the nervousness emitting from Hotohori and he did not want to do anything that may hinder Hotohori's advance.

Finding that Nuriko had not yet released, Hotohori sped up his advance even more, eliciting a sharp moan from Nuriko. Nuriko's fingers gripped tighter to the sheets and his muscles reached their peak of tensity. He voiced his moans freely as he felt his release inching up on him. The crescendo in Nuriko's moans only encouraged Hotohori more and he found himself also releasing small moans from his throat.

With a final downward motion of Hotohori's hand and mouth, Hotohori tasted the seed of his lover flow over his tongue. He found the taste of the liquid unpleasant, but he allowed it to slip down his throat and away from his now angry taste buds.

Hotohori heard a deep breath escape from Nuriko's lips, but did not give the seishi's heart beat time to slow down. Hearing Nuriko's moans had lit a fire under Hotohori that he now wished to be extinguished. He positioned himself between Nuriko's limp legs and pressed his arousal against Nuriko's open flesh. Nuriko felt the tease and whimpered his protests.

Hotohori couldn't have teased Nuriko any longer if he'd wanted to. He leaned forward and plunged his swollen pleasure deep into Nuriko's warm, welcoming body. The wave of pleasure was so great in that instant that Hotohori felt himself unable to move. He pulled his bottom lip into his mouth and tried to silence the scream attempting to escape from his lips. Nuriko gasped aloud at the sensation of pain and pleasure Hotohori was giving him. The emperor reached his hands up to grasp tightly to Nuriko's slender hips, trying to make himself move. Nuriko felt the emperor's hesitation.

"Hotohori? What's wrong?"

Hotohori pulled his lip out of his mouth and mumbled, "I've just never..felt anything...so..."

Nuriko grinned and replied, "It'll feel better if you move."

The thought of feeling more pleasure than he was feeling in that moment seemed impossible, but Hotohori began to move nonetheless. He started out with small, slow thrusts, testing the new ground. After the very first thrust, Hotohori found Nuriko to be correct. Every slight movement or twitch sent more pleasure through him than anything Nuriko had previously done for him. He was unable to stifle him amplifying moans because when he began to speed up his thrusting, his body seemed to react on its own.

Heaven. That's where Nuriko was. He felt as if the pillow beneath him was a cloud and Hotohori one of the nude winged angels floating along side him. His ears were delighted with every moan that entered them. He winced slightly when Hotohori's grip on his waist tightened, but the pleasure was so great he scarcely noticed a few seconds later. Nuriko could sense how badly Hotohori yearned for his release, and he wanted to help the emperor achieve it. So to help the emperor along, Nuriko tightened his muscles around Hotohori's arousal, making every thrust that much more pleasurable.

Nuriko's abdominal muscles twitched when he felt something wet dropping on his stomach. He raised his eyes to Hotohori's face and found the source to be tiny droplets of sweat falling from the emperor's forehead and nose. The feeling was arousing, but the look of absolute bliss painting the emperor's face was better still. The rolls were soon reversed and Nuriko felt Hotohori's muscles tense up. It was obvious to Nuriko that Hotohori's release was imminent. So as a final attempt to help the emperor's release, Nuriko arched his back and moaned loudly.

Nuriko's cry of rapture decimated all control Hotohori had over his impending orgasm. It took only a few more deep thrusts to push him over the edge. Nuriko sighed heavily when he felt Hotohori's seed leak into his body.

The second his release ended, Hotohori lost all strength in his arms and he collapsed over top of his lover. Nuriko smiled brightly and wrapped his arms tightly around his spent emperor.

"Nuriko?"

"Hmm?"

"How was it?"

Nuriko giggled a bit to himself, "My moans weren't indication enough?"

Hotohori laughed back and rolled over onto his back on the bed, "I suppose."

Though it was only absent for seconds, Nuriko missed the contact of their skin, so he curled up next to Hotohori, laying his head gently on the emperor's sweaty chest. An equally sweaty arm wrapped around Nuriko.

"Do we get to stay here all night, Hotohori?"

Hotohori nodded, "Chichiri has agreed to stay disguised as me as long as we need."

Despite the wonderful day the two men had spent together, an eerie sense of dread fell over them as they drifted off to sleep, dreading the next day.


	13. Chapter 13

Day 7

The sun shining through the window of the small hotel room was a dreaded sight for Nuriko and the emperor. As the light pierced through the sheets and attacked their eyes, the full realization hit them. Nuriko and Hotohori tightened their grip on each other, neither wishing to release their lover.

"Nuriko."

"Hmm?"

"We have to go."

Nuriko felt tears forming behind his eyes, but he fought them back. The separation was going to be difficult enough without him bawling like a baby.

"Okay, Hotohori."

As they approached the palace, Hotohori and Nuriko were silent, neither sure what to say to the other. Miaka and the other five seishi met them at the door, wishing to hear how the night went. While Miaka rambled on to the others about how she'd set up the date and how Hotohori had to dress up as a woman, the two lovers had tuned out everything. Both of them stared longingly at each other, desiring to return to the hotel and stay there for another seven days. When Miaka and the other seishi realized how solemn the emperor and Nuriko were, Miaka stopped her rambling.

Miaka approached the two lovers and smiled brightly, "Oh come on guys! You'll see each other again! Don't worry so much!"

Though the two lovers appreciated Miaka's sentiment, the feeling of dread would not leave them be.

"Highness!" came the un-welcomed voice of one of Hotohori's construction workers.

The young man approached the group and bowed courteously, "The ship is completed as you ordered, my lord. It may sail anytime."

Hotohori was unable to answer him and simply nodded. Taking this as permission to leave, the young man took off back towards the ship in order to gather his men. The other five seishi along with Miaka began to walk towards the ship, leaving Nuriko and Hotohori alone in the courtyard.

Hotohori took a quick look around, and threw his arms tightly around Nuriko. Nuriko wasted no time in returning his embrace.

"Gods! Why were we only granted this small amount of time?" Hotohori whispered.

Nuriko pressed his cheek against the emperor's chest and mumbled, "I can't stand it either."

"Nuriko, I dreamt about the wolf again last night. Please. Please be careful when you go. I know you promised me this already, but say it again. Promise me if you see a wolf you will run away. Promise me!"

Nuriko was much too distraught to argue with the emperor so he simple replied, "I promise, Hotohori. If it is possible, I will run away."

The promise did not bring Hotohori much relief, but he knew he could keep Nuriko no longer. The shinzaho had to be found. He released his grip on Nuriko and the two seishi stepped away from each other. Their eyes met instantly.

"Bye, Hotohori. I'll see you soon."

Such a simple goodbye would not suit Hotohori, so he answered, "I love you, Nuriko."

Again, his heart fluttered at the words. The emperor could say it a million times and it would still sound just as sweet to Nuriko's ears, "I love you too, Hotohori."

Not wishing to drag the goodbye out any longer, the two lovers turned their backs to each other and walked their separate directions, Hotohori to the palace and Nuriko to the ship. Neither of them looked back, and when Hotohori reached the palace gate, he sighed heavily.

"I know you'll come back, Nuriko. I know you will."

*I'm assuming you all know the outcome of this. I guess Nuriko's inevitable death makes the end of this story really sad, but if you've seen the series you knew this was coming. So there it is. If there's a couple in a certain anime any of my readers would like to see a fan fic on I would be happy to take requests. But if I've never seen the anime, I don't have the resources to go out and buy it. Sorry. Reviews.*


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